Hi,
I have often thought that my dupuytrens contacture was
brought on by holding my cordless telephone during long conversations. The lumps formed where they were in contact with the telephone.

Just recently I saw this on the internet:-
"Physical forces, such as electrical fields, seem to be indicated by some research in causing Dupuytren's contracture.
Electrical fields have had bad press in many areas, also including cancer.7"
7. Annales de Surgery Chirugie de la Main et du Membre Superieur 11(5):355-61;1992
http://life.ecureme.com/HealthyLiving/Na...n_dupuytren.asp
Has anyone any info on this?
Thanks,
Gillian

From an electrical engineer.....

Note that the date on the "electric fields" reference in your link is 1992. Claims and theories regarding adverse affects from electric fields on human tissue have been thoroughly debunked since then. Also, electric fields are not "physical forces" as they act only on charged matter. Cordless phones and wireless mice operate on very low power RF signals. If these signals were dangerous, we'd all be in deep trouble because our bodies are bombarded with RF energy every second of every day.

The act of holding the phone (or a mouse) for long periods of time is a repetitive stress hazard however. That is the more likely cause of your symptoms and also explains why they subside when you stop.

To: gillianp
It is a mysterious disease. I have donated some to Dupuytren Society especially to support their research conference in Florida. It is going to take we who are affected to support research.

From this website:
Though more than 175 years have passed since 1832 when Baron Guillaume Dupuytren (1777-1835) presented his findings in Paris on the disease that acquired his name, the root causes still remain unknown.

Dear Missmyguitars,

Thank you for your feedback. I saw the Danish study which may or may not be conclusive. as some cancers, as the study says, may be slow growing.

A 2003 govt/pubmed article says that some people may be more affected by cell phones than others.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15135881

I realize that Dupuytrens may be caused by a variety of causes particularly free radicals and injury and inherited genes.
regards,
Gillian

Hi,
Agreed that one can't prove a negative and thanks for your analogy.. So you are saying that there is the remotest possibility that electomagnetic fields can cause Dupuytrens.

However The Danish scientific study is disputed.
The study was sponsored in part by Denmark's largest phone company, Tele Danmark A/S, and the second largest mobile phone service in Denmark, Sonofon A/S.
http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_gu...s_are_safe.html

"Dr. George Carlo, former chief scientist of the Wireless Technology Research (WTR) program funded by the wireless industry, dismisses the latest study conducted by a group of scientists in Denmark that shows there is no link between cell phone use and cancer. Dr. Carlo, being an industry insider himself for years, knows the principals involved in the study and where their funding comes from. Dr. Carlo makes strong allegations, but he backs them up with facts and is speaking out in the interest of public health. "Where are Woodward and Bernstein when you need them?" he laments. Read Dr. Carlo's letter now. "
http://www.emf-health.com/reports-drcarlo-danishstudy.htm

. "Industry-funded studies in many cases now produce industry-desired outcomes. By tampering with the integrity of scientists, scientific systems and public information steps over the lines of propriety that are appropriate for protecting business interests especially when the casualty of the interference is public health and safety."

http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_gu...s_are_safe.html