Dupuytren's Contracture

[Browser]

Chatting to my daughter, who is a GP, I asked her about a couple of painless lumps on the palm of my hand, just below my fingers. I thought they might be a symptom of arthritis which I have in one or two of my fingers but my daughter said that it was depuytren’s contracture. On googling this, I discovered that diabetics were susceptible to this condition. Does anyone have experience of this?

 

[Ditto]

My sister's got it and apparently it's hereditary. Hope I don't get it, I've got enough. 😱

 

[Browser]

My sister's got it and apparently it's hereditary. Hope I don't get it, I've got enough. 😱

My daughter told me it wasn’t much to worry about as it’s progress can be very gradual. It can lead to the fingers curling up a bit but sometimes doesn’t happen. How has it affected your sister, if you don’t mind me asking?

 

[Ditto]

My daughter told me it wasn’t much to worry about as it’s progress can be very gradual. It can lead to the fingers curling up a bit but sometimes doesn’t happen. How has it affected your sister, if you don’t mind me asking?

She does have some trouble with it I'm afraid, but she has trouble with her hands in general anyway I think. She's long term type 2. Everybody's different though aren't they, with any luck you won't have any hassle I hope.

 

[Browser]

Thanks ditto. Hopefully nothing too serious comes of it. Maybe it will improve my golf grip, though. 🙂

 

[KARNAK]

Hi @Browser I have had it in both hands since 1978 as well as arthritis. The left hand is worse and can be painful at times, usually in cold weather, putting my hands in warm water usually relieves it. Nothing really to worry about didn`t stop me working in engineering and motor trade for the next 27 years.

 

[Drummer]

My father and brother both had/have it - it is hereditary and indicates Viking ancestry, I am told. It accounts for the small number of red hairs I used to have - now gone grey, and my temper.
Modern ways of treating it are far better than in previous centuries - if it was the smallest finger the usual 'cure' was to cut it off.
It is caused by the tendon adhering to the sheath and losing the ability to move within it.
Fortunately I seem to have missed out on the contracture, as I play various instruments and it would be a great nuisance not to have fully flexible fingers.

 

[Browser]

Thanks Karnak and Drummer ....... that’s reassuring.

 

[runner]

Hi, think I'm now developing Dupuytren's - waiting for consultation with GP to confirm. Started with a small lump on the underside of my left foot, then lumps on the palm of my R hand. Now have about 4 'lumps' on that palm and a small one on L hand. They're not painful and no contractions as yet, but I practice yoga nearly daily, so have flexible and strong wrist/hands, so hope this helps like Drummer's instrument playing! Interestingly I had a trigger finger at age 11 on R hand, and had 'policeman's heel' on L foot - don't know if that has influenced anything.

 

[Ditto]

What is policeman's heel.

 

[Drummer]

Not come across policeman's heel, but my firstborn had a trigger finger when he was small - he was operated on and the trigger was removed, but his hand is a little deformed as the outer two fingers are smaller than they ought to have been, but it is very slight.

 

[Clifton]

I had DC on two fingers of my left hand. It happened very quickly in the case of my 4th finger - overnight as a matter of fact with it completely bent towards my palm.

The guidance from the local CCG where I am (Bristol) makes it onerous for procedures to be undertaken by the NHS, so I chose to go privately and within 14 days, it was fixed. Painful after the surgery for a few days, but now I have a fully functioning left (dominant) hand.

Interestingly, the DC manifested itself before my formal diagnosis of T2D a few weeks ago...

 

[runner]

What is policeman's heel.

Hi Ditto, it's proper name is plantar fasciitis: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/plantar-fasciitis/