Hi everybody,

I wanted to share the following with those that are looking for an alternitive way to do something about "their" Dupuytren's disease. I have it myself since severeal years, and started to search on the interent what could be done about it and found all the traditional surgeon, needle technique, and some other ways, all with risks and not conclusive. Not one of them heals it really, and doesn't prevent it from coming back.
I nearly took an appointment for surgery but decided not to do it.

3 year ago I "invented" my own thing, and think it was a good start. I was like a hard glove, molded in the exact form of my hand (in a special material they use in the medical world), it was fixed with velcro strips. In the beginning I couldn't wear it the whole night, but after some time my hand "remembered" the position and some months later it felt as if it didn't do anything anymore. What happened, is that the hand had straightened up! (I'll try to upload a picture of the glove in my tread)

A year ago I've had another idea : stretching. I started to do my exercises while I was waiting somewhere, watching a movie etc, and realized it really works. When my hand feels stiff, I do some stretching and after some minutes I can open it better.

You can also do individual stretching of the fingers.
Seeing the picture of my handpalm I believe it looks better than 3 years ago, the tension in the handpalm was much more visible from what I remember!

I discovered lately that there are serious studies being made on this subject and the team (docters) that works on this stretching found out the results are clear and visible. I found this very encouraging! (I don't remember where I've read this..., but it was on a serious site) So, why not try it, it is free, it seems the most natural way. Nothing to loose, everything to gain!*

I'm not a docter, I just wanted to share this personnal experience. Find your own way, my fingers are still straight (I believe the strething helped), and I understand that curved fingers demand some special attention, but I'm sure everybody can find his own best way to stretch.
Don't try do straighten it in one week, but give it some months, I believe you'll see results.

* Quote from this site on Ledderhose versus Dupuytren's : "Development of cords seems to be less dominant for Ledderhose. Possibly weight and continuous exercise keep feet and toes straight or the Ledderhose nodules reside in a more static area and are thus subject to less pulling forces than the nodule's in the hand. Thus therapies to straighten toes again are less important for Morbus Ledderhose, the focus is more on reducing the size of the nodules (...)" This gave me the idea of stretching.

Read this topic too (Several very positive testimonies : kdenkler and JAnnrunner): http://www.dupuytren-online.info/Forum_E...-use-0_126.html

Edited 07/25/11 21:46

Thanks for your completing my tread, I hadn't thought of it, and you are totally right. For the younger once : You should give it a try.

OK, I'm glad I made you laugh, but if you read topics on Ledderhose <->Dupuytren, this is generally the conclusion. No bending of the toes, but bigger nodules. HA!

Larry:

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BOZO56:

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Hi everybody,

.....

*Actually Ledderhosen is the same phenomenon as Dupruytren's, but the foot doesn't curl up, because walking prevents this from happening and in this same logic you might suppose fingers won't bend if you prevent them from bending. That's what gave me the idea.

Unless you walk on your hands ... ... proposed by

http://www.ronjones.org/Coach&Train/...p/HandWalk.html

Avoid this ...



... by doing this





Then you may be able to perform like this:



... and that's your first training lesson

1) Movement Prep #4-"Hand Walk" (Start Plank Position)




2) Movement Prep #4-"Hand Walk" (Partial)




3) Movement Prep #4-"Hand Walk" (Full Hip Hinge-End Position)

For those who prefer to walk on their hands, Larry has the solution, but I think my way is easier for the less younger folks. (Oh, by the way, are you typing with your toes, Larry?)

Again I quote : "Development of cords seems to be less dominant for Ledderhose. Possibly weight and continuous exercise keep feet and toes straight or the Ledderhose nodules reside in a more static area and are thus subject to less pulling forces than the nodule's in the hand. Thus therapies to straighten toes again are less important for Morbus Ledderhose, the focus is more on reducing the size of the nodules (...)"
This really confirms that by pulling and stretching in the opposite way, you can keep the fingers straight and maybe straighten them.

Edited 07/25/11 19:38

I have Dupuytren's in my left hand, which is the hand for a guitarplayer that does the hardest work in the sense that it makes a gripping movement, pushing down the strings with force. (The same for other stringed instruments ofcourse)

All limited or repetitive movement can be bad for any member of your body. "My" Dupuytren started to devellop seriously when I started playing a lot and doing hard exercises on the guitar for long hours. I changed my way of playing, started wearing a glove that kept my hand nearly straight during the night and starting doing a little stretching and things go better.

Guitarplayer's left hands make closing movements, so I do the contrary every once in while to relax my hand, I make different movements, open my hand as much as I can and some stretching.
I'm not saying this will work for all the cases, but I believe it works for me and I read testimonies on this site that go in the same direction. (I added a link in this topic)

Edited 07/26/11 13:53

Great Info Larry. Thanks.

Hands:
I splint my hands every night. In the morning I use a marker pen and roll them for at least 1/2 hour, after, I apply vitamin E.
Throughout the day I excercise my hands. Has it helped? My hands are not stiff. In any case, I will go to Germany in September for my "Radiation Vacation" and have them zapped.

Feet:
Still scared about rolling or massaging or do anything on my feet besides using vitamine E at night. My nodules are still small, so not sure they will be zapped in September. Have classic symptoms, burning, pressure, tension in arch, sometimes my pads of my feet hurt. I noticed after riding my bike -and I assume my shoes press on those things-, they are softer. They will also be zapped when the time comes. Good riddens.


Christl