I am a 58 years old chiropractor and remember that my grandfather, also a chiropractor, could not open his hands fully. Around 5 years ago I noticed the same changes in my own hands and recognized it as Dupuytrens. It was particularly bothersome when I played tennis because it was mildly painful. I had become acquainted with a company that sells systemic enzymes. Their main product is called Vitalzym. Their main advocate, Dr. Wong, wrote much about the use of systemic enzymes and reduction of fibrosis. Reasoning that Dupuytrens is a kind of fibrosis I thought I would give it a try.

At the time I began the enzyme treatment I would wake up every morning with my hands contracted into a tight fist, but I would push and pull on my fingers until I could straighten them, as long as I didn't relax too much.

After two months of full dose VitalzymX, the high potency product, the contracted tissue began to soften, allowing my hands to move easily and remain fully open. This progress continued over the remaining part of the year until the contractures were pretty much gone. I have cut way back on the Vitalzym and am now on a maintenance dose. There is still the slightest evidence of where the contractures were, but my hands are no longer contracted. They remain fully open when relaxed with no deformity. In the morning my hands are again relaxed and open. My tennis game is increadible and I am happy.

By the way my brother, also a chiropractor, was three years ahead of me with his Dupuytrens and it was bad enough that he opted for the surgery. He was happy with the results, but I am happier with not having to have the surgery.
My Mother, not a chiropractor but the daughter of one, started noticing the contractures in her early 80s about the same time that I noticed mine. I started her on the systemic enzymes and the contracting fibrotic tissue also went away. She is now 86 and doing fine.

VitalzymX is pricey, but it's an alternative that has proven to be easy, non-invasive, and effective in my case. "World Nutrition" is the company that sells it. I have no financial interest in "World Nutrition" but I am grateful that they were there, on the internet, for me to stumble across. If you decide to try Vitalzym, my hope is that your results will be as good as mine.

The contracture, of which I spoke, was only in the fourth and fifth digit of both hands. In my grand father it formed a thick cable of fibrosis that pulled his ring and little finger down toward the medial base of his hand. I am a diagnostician and I knew all about Dupuytren's Contracture before I saw it in my own hands. I said that it drew my hand into a fist because that's the way my hand ended up in the morning, not because the other fingers had contractures, rather because they didn't remain straight up when the 4th and 5th digits were pulled down. Since I began taking the systemic enzyme in the early stages, the contracture did not advance to the point where the joints were locked and immobile. But my brother's had begun affecting the joints, so he had surgery.

I'm not sure what your issue is Randy. You seem intent on focusing on the fist thing when there was ample evidence throughout my post that would clue you to the soundness of my diagnosis. Whatever the issue is I hope you find a solution to your Dupuytren's challenge.

My motive for writing this post is to help anyone who wants to explore a simple, non-invasive method for reducing the crippling effects of this genetic disposition. I'm sorry if I posted this too late to help you, but please allow others in the early stages to benefit from what I've experienced.

i have dup and my hand pulls into a fist at night. have had both open hand surg and na. i have cords from thumb to index finger also, besides in little and ring fingers. so yes, it is possible that the hand is drawn into a fist at night because of dup. surprised that it hasnt been mentioned. in the winter i run warm water over them to loosen the cords up and then can start to straighten my hand with stretching exercises, they never fully straighten, but become mobil enough to function(somewhat), till the next night, when they contract down into a fist again.

Mr. Smithster -

You cannot understand how an enzyme can impact Dupuytren's but that is exactly what the collagenase treatment entails with the one difference being injection of the enzymes instead of them being taken orally.

At this point in time no one knows what causes Dupuytren's in the first place so it is not possible to make an exact determination of what will or will not work in terms of long term treatment to halt its progression. Their is good research on the efficacy of XRT but nothing else of which I am aware.

Much of the accepted medical wisdom was at one stage strongly dismissed by the established medical community, such as the recent acceptance of the role of two types of bacteria in stomach ulcers. Bacteria did not make sense to 99.9% of the medical community but one Australian doctor kept on with his theory which is now widely accepted.

People are willing to blindly take statins or diabetes medications based on far less understanding and research. Why is it so hard to accept systemic enzymes, even if they are not being hawed by a big pharma company. My concern would be the side affects of any systemic approach as such treatments affect the entire body and in ways not fully understood or appreciated (as with statins).

I have personally witnessed the complete failure in treating juvenile arthritis by the medical experts, first using aspirin and later drugs with severely damaging side effects when Dr. Jacobson of the Oregon University has produced highly beneficial results with the injection of DMSO, long feared by the medical community and dismissed by the drug companies as they could not patent and thereby profit by its use.

I have tried various dietary supplements an "it can't hurt so why not give it a try" basis and so far been unsuccessful. But I see no real harm in trying different approaches so long as it does not delay consideration of other treatment options such as XRT.

im taking also. not the VitalzymX mentioned above, cost to much and same is offered for much less. im taking FIBROZYM(same as Vitalzym, which contains SERRAPEPTASE) along with SERRAPEPTASE in cap form 3 times a day. not expecting anything, but willing to give it a shot. interested in anyone elses results. please post every month or so, i will do same. good luck