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Does Stretching help.
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12/12/2005 23:02
woodsskier3

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12/12/2005 23:02
woodsskier3

not registered

Does Stretching help.

Will stretching help contol the contracture? I have been doing stretching exercises and notice a small improvement up-front, but I am worried that it might aggravate and cause the fascia to tighten up even more. Any suggestions out there?

12/12/2005 23:54
Randy H.

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12/12/2005 23:54
Randy H.

not registered

No

Though we have heard from posters from time to time that stretching, such as in Yoga, has helped them. However, the generally accepted wisdom is that it is of no benefit long term. If it were, believe me, we'd have a few threads devoted to it. My guess is that this thread will not grow to long.

12/12/2005 23:05
woodsskier3

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12/12/2005 23:05
woodsskier3

not registered

looking for real good advise

Okay, some say stretch and some say doesn't help. Given that dupuytren's has been established for some time and that the disorder causes the facia to shrink, there must be some common knowledge of stretching....

12/13/2005 23:06
Wolfgang Wach

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12/13/2005 23:06
Wolfgang Wach

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streching

I believe that one of the differences between Dupuytren and Ledderhose is that the feet ar subject to continuous streching under (heavy?) load. This might explain why contraction for Ledderhose is typically not an issue.

Wolfgang

12/13/2005 23:55
woodsskier3

not registered

12/13/2005 23:55
woodsskier3

not registered

Same

It makes sense that you would not develope cantractures of the foot compared to palm due to the constant pressure. My thoughts are that individual that have injured the fascia or have the genetic disposition for the disorder, do not benefit from activities (sport,work) that aggavate the condition. Given that we must cope with the facts of life....we have our hobbies + must work, we should find ways to manage the condition, before it gets the best of us. Here is what i think.....

However you incured your injury, you have no choice but to continue with life as normal even though this will agravate the condition. It should be wise to do regular stetching to keep the hand and fingers limber + maybe find a way to sleep at night with affected fingers in a more extended position through use of a hand brace of some sort.

12/13/2005 23:43
scott

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12/13/2005 23:43
scott

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re: will stretching help

Dr. Eaton's website specifically recommends against stretching .

12/13/2005 23:15
Dilly

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12/13/2005 23:15
Dilly

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Ouch!!

A strange thing happened to me last night. I have DD in both hands. Dr. Eaton fixed my little finger on my left hand. DD in my right hand shows two big nodes in my palm and a very raised band running from my palm to my middle finger. I have had it for eight years but my finger has never drawn down. Last night I lost my balance as I was going to bed. I put my right hand down on the bed to help my balance. I felt a sharp pain in my palm. When I examined it I found that the raised band is gone. My hand is sore today.

12/13/2005 23:37
Larry 
12/13/2005 23:37
Larry 
wow!

Holy Cow, Dilly, sounds like you snapped your own DC cord!!

Congrats!

12/13/2005 23:42
Kristen 
12/13/2005 23:42
Kristen 
Stretching not recommended

This study (written by the hand therapist who made my splint - citation from Medline) pretty much spells out that stretching does more harm than good. They tell you not to stress your hands and stretching qualifies as "stress."

1: J Hand Ther. 2002 Oct-Dec;15(4):331-9. Related Articles, Links


A clinical report of the effect of mechanical stress on functional results after fasciectomy for Dupuytren's contracture.

Evans RB, Dell PC, Fiolkowski P.

Indian River Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation, Inc., Vero Beach, Florida 32960, USA. rosevans@gate.net

Early postoperative treatment after Dupuytren's fasciectomy traditionally has included the application of mechanical stress to digital extension with splints and exercise. This study examines the effect of mechanical stress, which may compromise nutrient delivery to the tissues, on inflammation, flare, hypertrophic scar, digital range of motion (ROM), and therapy visits. The authors compared functional outcomes in operated digits treated postoperatively with tension applied (TA) and no tension applied (NTA), retrospectively from 1983 to 1993 (TA only) and prospectively from 1993 to 1999 (TA and NTA). The charts of 268 patients who underwent Dupuytren's fasciectomy were reviewed and divided into 2 groups (TA and NTA). Each case was analyzed with respect to age, sex, number of digits operated, postoperative management technique, therapy visits, metacarpophalangeal joint and proximal interphalangeal joint ROM, degree of flare, and scar. There were significant differences in ROM, scar formation, flare, and treatment time in favor of the NTA technique. The results indicate that postoperative management that prevents applied mechanical tension in the early phases of wound healing decreases complications after this surgery and that no digital motion is lost to extension with the NTA technique.

12/13/2005 23:04
woodsskier3

not registered

12/13/2005 23:04
woodsskier3

not registered

Reply to Kristen & Dilly

Thanks for your insight on the Post-op tention on nontention study. I would not want to mess with fingers post-op. However, I do think that stetching exercises will benefit the individual with early development of dupuytren's and of course hasn't just had a surgery. Let's not asume every person in the forum is "post-op".

I seems that most people out there figure out they have the dupuytren's when it is probably too late to try to stretch out the hand. By then they have clawed fingers. I don't think too many doctors can diagnose dupuytrens up front. In my case the doctors said I had ulnar neuropathy and did a nerve release in elbow for nothing. It took a good doctor and 3 years later to figure out the real deal.

Dilly-

I did'nt mention it, but I was stetching out my pinky and also broke a cord a couple of weeks ago. There was a slight swelling that lasted a few days. I sudenly have a normal range of movement in pinky. Before I had half the rom. This is why I am asking people about whether steaching works or not. Something broke free and it was a good thing.

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fasciectomy   inflammation   hypertrophic   retrospectively   postoperative   cantractures   postoperatively   prospectively   mechanical   traditionally   Ledderhose   complications   metacarpophalangeal   specifically   Stretching   contracture   dupuytren   differences   Rehabilitation   interphalangeal