UKC

I was looking for some Journal articles on the effects of climbing on the environment and i stumbled across an article called "Can rock climbing lead to Dupuytren’s disease?"
I had not heard of this before, has anyone on here?
Here is an explanation of the disease

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/handcondiitions/a/dupuytrens.htm

and here is a link to the article abstract and download.

http://bjsm.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/39/9/639

In reply to robhf: From what I can remember from evil medical school, the cause is usually unknown. I have not heard of it being associated with rock climbing but climbing could theoretically prevent the condition progressing by acting as a kind of physiotherapy.

In reply to dr evil:

There is the theory that recurrent trauma to the palmar fascia predisposes to Dupuytren's Contracture. This supposedly explains why people regularly using vibrating tools are at (apparently) higher risk. There is no good data to support this and it has just been expanded to include climbing. Don't worry about it.

In reply to robhf: I have had symptoms for about seven years now and can think of another nine climbers with it off the top of my head.

In reply to GCW: I wasn'y worried about it, I'm more concerned about how long my dislocated thumb is keeping me away from climbing.

In reply to ranger dave:

I'd get the dislocation reduced first- you'll get back to climbing quicker

In reply to robhf:

A good climbing friend has just been diagnosed with Dupuytren's Contracture. That'll make 3 climbers I know personally who have it. To my knowledge, none of my non-climbing acquaintances have it.

The only non-climbers I know about (but don't/ didn't know personally) who've suffered from it are Margaret Thatcher and Grahame Green. Both had it in their writing hands.

In reply to robhf:

I know of climbers who have it and others that don't have it, suggesting it is genetic.

Don't think climbing walls help.

In reply to Removed User:

There might easily be a genetic pre-disposition, but the referenced article in the OP suggests strongly that climbing may well exacerbate any pre-existing tendency to the condition.

19.5 % of responding CC members suffering from it is a large proportion...much larger than in the general population which I believe is around 2% or lower.

Even if the CC poll response was skewed in that *all* the CC club members with the condition responded whereas only a proportion of those without it did, the high overall response (51% of all CC members) shows that the percentage of sufferers among male CC members is at least 10%. higher still if you factor out the women members from the total (the poll being aimed at men only)...possibly 14% or so, or at least 7 times that of the general population.

A fairly strong prima facie case for a correlation, I think.

In reply to robhf:
Lets face it, it makes sense. Those tendons in your hands aren't designed to cope with the stress we put them under. That we might even have doubts there is a link just shows what a bunch of climbing junkies we all are.

I find that sometimes, even a few days after climbing, the tendons running through my palm feel tight. However, I'm a firm believer in stretching, and I just do some finger stretches ala: https://www.moonclimbing.com/index.php?form_action=school&school_id=15 until they feel better. I always do this after a climbing session and will often do this particular one mid way through if the tendons are tightening up.

It'd be interesting to find out if those climbers who did get Dupuytren’s stretched out regularly and what the quality of their stretching routines were.

BTW, if any of you doubt whther or not you are a climbing junkie. That you spend your time when not climbing on this forum discussing climbing with other like minded individulas just shows how obsessed you are.

My name is flat eric, and I am a climber!

In reply to Rob Naylor:
>>

Agreed. I've got it, not too bad though.