Hello everyone,

I have had this condition for many years now. I have a general physician friend who lives in CA and on my last visit there he told me I do have Dupytrans in my hands.

On my left hand I have two sizable nodes leading to my ring finger. I have two smaller ones on my right hand in the same area and.

Luckly they are small, do not have pain, nor do they constrict my hand movement.

However, I have another condition that may be a form of this in my right elbow and right shoulder area. My physician friend said he had not heard of it going that far, but of course he is not an expert on the issue. he said I would need to consult with an orthopedic surgeon to get a proper diagnoses.

Unfortunately, I have no insurance and it would be impossible for me to afford the cost of such a doctor. So I wanted to at least try to check to see if anyone with this condition might know of this "possible" variable.

In my right hand there is also a "cable" like strand that goes from the top portion of my thumb towards the index finger. if I spead my hand out it literally feels like a metal cable. it does ristrict my flexing out of my hand slightly and does ache at times.

This "cable" like condition is also in my right elbow, to which I cannot extend my arm like I can with my left arm. This also is in my right shoulder where I can feel a cable like strand from my neck down to the beginnning of my shoulder (about 3").

This condition is very painful. I have very limited mobility from my right shoulder down and it aches a lot of the time. If I move my arms, say to throw a ball overhanded, I cannot extend my arm back past my neck without EXTREME pain. I have had situations where I have moved it the wrong way, even in sleeping, and the pain is extreme enough to put me down on a knee (and I have a high tolerance for pain) for 15-30 seconds.

So I was wondering if this "cable" like situation in my right hand, elbow and shoulder could be the same or a form of Dupy's?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! And maybe if anyone knows an Orthopedic surgeon who does any por bono work that might be able to assist would also be greatly appreciated.

I don't care about the nodes, since they don't cause me pain. I'm just looking to find out what is causing this extreme pain in my right side and any possibilities of stoppping this pain, because it is almost constant.

Thanks in advance!

@Mike S:

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South Pacific,

I also have DD. The 1st thing I noticed was contracture of one finger. Eventually, I had it straightened using NA. At the time I had noticed any chords or nodules (but I'm not much at this sort of thing). Subsequently, I have developed several nodules, one "dimple", and perhaps(?) additional chords. I also had "frozen shoulder" whereupon I could not raise my shoulder to throw a ball, had trouble putting on or taking off a shirt or jacket, and considerable pain if I tried to force the shoulder past where it was willing to go. With physical therapy, continued at home exercises, and the passage of time, the frozen shoulder is now 90%+ resolved. Good luck!

SouthPacific, try looking up websites that show you how to maintain proper posture. I've had frozen shoulder, neck pain and mid- and lower-back pain. All of them went away when I started religiously practicing good posture.

SouthPacific, the more I read about Xiaflex, the more it sounds like it could help your condition. I know you said you don't have insurance, but try to get in to see a doctor if you can. I would be persistent and do some online research to see if you can find a trial for it. The background on Xiaflex is that it is an enzyme produced by the gangrene bacteria that essentially eats away collagen.

Your case sounds unusual. See if your local doctor might see you on a pro bono basis and would help to get you into a clinical trial. If you want something like this but can't afford to pay for it, you are really going to have to do your homework and try to figure out all the angles.

From the sounds of it, the makers of Xiaflex are looking to get it approved for multiple diseases - many of which are related. Read here for more information.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/business/16hand.html

spanishbuddha:

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Dupuytren's, Ledderhosen, Garrod's (knuckle pads), Frozen shoulder, Plantar Fasciitus, quite often occur together. Also Professor Seegenschmiedt told me he had seen 'it' affect the Achilles tendon and elsewhere in the ankle. I did not ask about the elbow.