Who knows ... I would think that the individual progression of Dupuytrens is not predictable. Heavy use of the hand might aggravate the disease but it depends on the type of usuage and on your personal condition. If you like your work and don't feel you are damaging your hand with it, I would continue with it.

Wolfgang

Hi! Thank you very much for taking the time to reply. I noticed a nodule on one hand in the past year. My other hand cramps sometimes.

My job is using my hands. I will give it up in an instant if I learn that would conserve my hand ability in the future. But so far, it sounds like it doesn’t matter.

I have never been a big drinker & have not done any real drinking for a long time. I have never smoked but was raised in a two parent smoker home.

I don’t think either parent had this that I know of.

So far, no one has noticed I probably have this except me. I am most Swedish & French with some Scotch Irish / English. I was born in USA & therefore am an American.

Thanks!

Perhaps a steroid injection or a series of three injections may be helpful

I think you'll find most studies into the root cause of this disease conclude that heredity is the most dominant factor. And I believe that DD is quickly being put on the front burner in terms of research and possible treatment options due to the increasing number of patients who are reporting this condition. I recall my grandfather back in the 1950s and 60s having some curled fingers, but I never thought much about it. My father informed me in the 1990s that his curled fingers were going to be surgically straightened, probably told me the disease name, etc, but it wasn't much of an impact to me I guess. Then, in my early 60s, I developed "bumps" which I thought were callouses at the base of my ring and little finger. Soon cords formed upward from those "bumps" and migrated up the finger (especially the pinky). Within a year my finger contracted about 40% at which time I started on the path to (1) identifying what this was. and (2) researching treatment options. By the time I decided on Xiaflex my little finger was almost touching the palm area--90% contracted. I suddenly became aware of the fact that both my father and his father had this disease (we are eastern European origin), and I also found out my brother has symptoms (my other brother does not, for some reason).

As more and more victims of this horrible disease come forward and get it diagnosed by a hand specialist, I believe we will see an acceleration in treatment options and possibly even some sort of atopical, non-invasive treatment. Right now there's no options that either are extremely effective and/or permanent to any extent.