I apologize if this has already been discussed. I tried a search to see if it had and nothing came up. My Dupuytrens was first noticed some 20 years ago (at 45 years of age). My father also had it and I have a first cousin that has it. It was first noticed in the ring finger of my right hand. I found a forum at the time (which is probably this forum) and read about wearing a splint at night. I have been doing this for 20 years and it has not progressed any further. About 5 years ago I noticed it in the pinky finger on my left hand. I got a splint for this as well but the left pinky is much more aggressive and it has progressed to 30 degrees in a very short time. I was referred to a doctor to discuss surgery which he recommended before it progressed too much further. I didn't like the idea of not being able to use my hand for 2 to 6 months so I went down the internet rabbit hole for alternatives. I have attached an article I found written November of 2020. I am not sure if it is quackery or not but I am going to give it a shot. I just received my dynamic splint and have started the daily therapy. I will send an update in 30 days.
a) wearing the splint is not very comfortable because it is pulling on the finger, which includes pressure on the hand b) you need to wear the splint regularily, usually daily (not at night) c) you need to wear it for a long time, otherwise the contracture might return quickly. After a year or so it might be sufficient to wear it once a week to maintain results but you should not completely stop wearing it.
Interesting. A lot of us would be happy to find less invasive treatments. However, this study had an N of 1. We have no way of knowing if this treatment would work with everyone. We know that there is wide variation in the progression of the disease from one individual to another, and that causation is still not fully understood. I am quite interested to know if my own DD was aggravated by a broken wrist and subsequent immobilization and inflammation a year before I got the disease, but there is not enough evidence apparently to answer that question. The author of this article makes a great deal of speculation based entirely on theory, but there is little rigorous research to test that theory.
All of that said, I have been looking into what I might try in the early stages. I do not yet have a contracture so I assume I would not benefit from the splint. I am looking at stopping or slowing the progression at this point.It certainly couldn't hurt to try the hyperextension and massage he recommends. Is there more to it that the simple stretch in Figure 8?
Do you have a cord in the hand that the stretch could be applied to? If not I would not recommend hyperextension stretches.
Lanikai75:It certainly couldn't hurt to try the hyperextension and massage he recommends. Is there more to it that the simple stretch in Figure 8?
I think it could hurt! I regularly stretch my hands and fingers as part of my own piano practice warm up routine. But as anyone who plays piano knows you can hurt your hands, tendons, joints, by 'overstretching' or 'overplaying'. So I am careful not to overstretch, and my hands have improved with their range of stretch and flexion as measured by reach and dexterity playing piano.
Massage is generally helpful for blood flow, muscle knots, lymphatic drainage, pain, etc, and although there have been reports of it helping early DD it's not clear how or why or whether it really helps. I massage my hands, gently, usually in hot or warm water; it just "feels good". Also an n=1 experience so YMMV.
Good afternoon, I am reporting back after 30 days of using the dynamic splint technique. When I started the pinky finger on my left hand was at 30 degrees, it is now at about 10% which is promising. I wore the splint multiple times every day and will likely continue to do so to see if I can get that last 10 degrees. I tried to put it on at least three times a day whenever I knew I would be sitting down for at least 30 minutes or longer. I did take a few photos but I got an error message for file size when I tried to attach. Many thanks to this forum for all the great info. James
Update!! (got your email sinm but could not respond) The technique is still working for me. I haven't been as diligent as I should be with the pinky brace during the day but between a night splint and the pinky brace I have maintained a 15% bend. I was away for two months this summer and forgot to take my splint and brace, I definitely noticed my pinky getting worse without those two devices. As soon as I got home I got back to wearing both and I was able to get back where I was. I don't think it will ever get as straight as the Vrousgos patient but it has been good enough for me and if it stays this way I will never go for surgery. Good luck to you if you try it. James
Thanks @JamesHenry for the update. I'm sorry that email to me through the forum doesn't work. Let me share my story here and ask you some questions, if you don't mind.
I'm 58. I did heavy weightlifting for over a decade, including lots of heavy back squats and front squats. I stopped lifting weights almost three years ago and noticed two bent fingers after I stopped. I don't recall any acute trauma but I'm willing to bet that the heavy pressure of the barbell over all those years caused damage to my left index finger (40 degree bend) and right pinky (70 degree bend).
I didn't do anything about the bent fingers until very recently, when the right pinky bend went from 45 degrees to 70 degrees. I went to a local hand surgeon who looked at the fingers, did a little palpation and said, yep, Dupuytren's. The fingers don't hurt and don't affect my functioning so the surgeon said to wait until things get bad and then have surgery. A couple of years ago I had cords in my left palm and I went to see an acupuncturist and after 10 or so treatments the cords went away.
So, I've got two bent fingers, no cords, no pain, and no discomfort other than cosmetic. I'm not interested in surgery.
I read the Vrousgos paper, which is how I found this forum thread, and am curious about trying to straighten the fingers, especially that right pinky.
Some questions:
1. The Vrousgos protocol has one do dynamic splinting with 5 minutes on and one minute massage/rest for three hours a day (three one-hour campaigns). Did you do that much dynamic splinting?
3. At what rate did you see improvement? The article says to expect one degree a day decrease in bend.
4. My experience experimenting with the finger straightener is that I can get a good decrease in finger bend after a 5-minute use of the device but that the bend quickly returns within a minute of taking the device off. Is that your experience? Does it really take a ton of patience and persistence?
Hi sinm, Interesting to hear you have spent a lot of time in the gym, I have worked out my whole life as well and still do. Personally I don't contribute the lifting to my Dupuytrens which I feel is purely genetic as my father had it and at least one of my cousins has it as well.
Your contraction seems like it is more severe than mine but I would still give this a try providing you can get this brace on your finger. I would add that if you don't already wear some sort of splint at night you need to add that as well. In my opinion that is when this affliction does its work. Eight or so hours of your hand in a relaxed or balled up position can not help.
In the beginning I would wear the dynamic brace for as long as I could stand it then rest and repeat. It will be up to you how long you can stand it. Of course the results will be different for everyone but if you notice improvement like I did it will motivate you to keep at it. This is just like the gym, if you don't keep at it you loose it. I don't wear the brace as much as I should be but I know its going to be a life long thing. I am a true believer in a night splint as well. I am 65 years old and have been wearing a night splint for over 15 years.
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