Dupuytren's Contracture

[goo_head_83]

Has anyone had any experience working with a client with Dupuytren's Contracture?  It is a disease that can lead to limited use of the hands.  For reasons unknown, the palmar fascia thickens, when this happens, it contracts.  Small,hard knots may form under the skin near the base of the fingers.  The fingers curl in and it is hard to straighten the fingers.  I am interested in finding someone who has worked on a client with this disease.

 

[kimmiebballgirl]

deleted

 

[KandyGirl16]

My mother has this condition, and a combination of massage and acupuncture have kept it totally at bay. Reversed it, actually. It can start to creep back, but as long as we keep working it and she has acupuncture a few times a year, it completely loosens back up.

 

[Deeana]

My mother has this condition, and a combination of massage and acupuncture have kept it totally at bay. Reversed it, actually. It can start to creep back, but as long as we keep working it and she has acupuncture a few times a year, it completely loosens back up.

BJB-LMP, can you be more specific about the types of massage that have helped this condition? Cross fiber friction, lots of stretching, application of heat? Anything you could share would be most appreciated. I actually have 2 siblings with this condition.

Sister #2 who has been diagnosed with it... and Sister #3 who has recently developed it (though it hasn't been officially diagnosed yet). I guess I feel I might be able to help Sister #3 since it has just recently developed - within the past 6 months or so.

I have been told there is a strong genetic component... (Northern European or Scandinavian descent). Apparently there is also a strong correlation between Dupuytren's contracture and smoking, drinking, thyroid problems, diabetes, epilepsy, alcoholism and liver disease.

Interesting that one source mentions that people who have Dupuytren's Contracture often suffer from Plantar Fasciitis as well. (This is the case with Sister #2, who also has a couple correlating factors mentioned above.)

Gratelakes, I totally understand your frustration with the client who would rather have surgery that try to address it with regular massage. My sister #2 is like that as well... though if I lived closer I'm sure she'd let me massage it for her. You know, for free. *cough* :roll:

 

[stephyy1019]

Honestly what I mostly use is really just Swedish friction. In my mother's case I don't do cross-fiber, I move up the palm and up along the palmar surface of the finger. Very slow, not even super-heavy as the affected tissue is mostly pretty close to the surface and she's sensitive. Her case has never been as terribly advanced as what GL is describing, though. She was diagnosed early and we started tx immediately. I didn't initially know if massage would help (this was about 10 years ago, when I was very first certified w/no tx training at all). There was very little internet then, and I didn't know any treatment MTs to ask or refer to. So I just started palpating, and palpation turned to slow gentle friction, and she started getting acupuncture - one thing really just led to another. So now we maintain her flexibility using the same old what-if-I-try-this technique we came up with so long ago!

She doesn't really like to do much stretching, and she doesn't like to use heat or ice if she can get away with it. She does do self-massage frequently.

For her, she has to do BOTH massage and acupuncture to keep her hand flexible. Just one or the other is not enough for her.

Oh she also has thyroid problems - I didn't know about that correlation. I will keep an eye on my sister in that case.

 

[tribeca_belle]

I was just reviewing some old threads and saw this one.

I had a client a few years ago, who had this condition in both hands and feet. I looked it up online and found there
was a doctor in France who originated a new way of doing
outpatient surgery, which could free up the connective tissues, and the affected joints without causing the same
level of scar tissue as other surgical procedures had done.

Apparently since that time more than one facility here in the US has started doing his version of the procedure. When I last looked it up I believe there were 4 or 5 locations where this surgical technique was being done.

Here's a quickie bit of info from the http://www.handcenter.org:

Needle Aponeurotomy (Needle Aponevrotomy or NA) is a minimally invasive treatment for Dupuytren's contracture. In contrast to surgical treatment, which requires several months of recovery, Needle Aponeurotomy allows a more rapid recovery. In most cases, it is possible to return to near normal activities without bandages within a few days of treatment.

This technique was developed in Paris by Dr. Lermusiaux at the Hopital Laribosière. Drs. Eaton and Zidel were personally instructed on this method by Dr. Lermusiaux and his colleagues, and offer this procedure in the United States at The Hand Center

If you do an internet search under Dupuytren's Contracture
you'll find lots more info immediately. Hope this helps !