UKC

After reading Pete o'Donovans excellent article and reading the responses I was wondering if we could compile a list of folk who suffer from this condition on here and if stats like length of time with disease, progress rates etc would be helpful.Also if anyone has any hints as to how to 'climb around' it without causing pain. I first noticed a very very small hardening of the skin on my palm around xmas, since then it has progressed pretty rapidly and is now a raised, 1cm wide visible lump, painful when climbing on certain holds (slopers, jugs) and isnt very comfortable day to day (holding a kettle, steering wheel etc.)
I have read loads of stuff online about the disease and its highly variable progress rates, I just wondered if you as climbers think it is 'helped' along by continual heavy climbing and by maybe being younger than the average onset age...

Any help, advice on how to climb through it would be great

Thanks

In reply to SeanB:

Sean, I posted on the original thread about last October. One of the things that I commented on was the use of Glucosamine. As I said in my original post, I stopped taking it straight away, and it stopped getting worse. I would even say that it has improved since I stopped, my right hand is defo better, and much of the area on my left hand 'seems' to be improved, with the exception of a lump that is v.painful (still waiting for an op to have it chopped out).

If your idea gets support, I would certainly add details to it.

Are you, or have you, taken Glucosamine? Or do you eat lots of pineapples!

In reply to escalator: Hi Escalator thanks for replying, Ive used Glucosamine once, for about 2 weeks and this was a few years ago so I dont think there is any connection there.As for pineapples, apart from on a pizza, no, not really.
I have a strong family link on both sides to the condition, but all my relatives were well over fifty before onset and none of them are climbers, this is why I specifically want climbers input.
Has the pain subsided as time has gone on? Ive read that it can be painful at first and then dissipate? Its Interesting that you seem to have had good results after stopping glucosamine.Im just concerned at the apparent swiftness of the progression, its only been a couple of months and its causing me problems, of all the literature Ive read it seemed to be a slow burning condition, with patients only having issues after several years or so.Id also be interested in any personal experiences with surgery/needle aponeuropathy(sp?) Pete O'Donovan could maybe do a wee update on life and climbing after surgery? Pete?..

In reply to SeanB:
Been meaning to start a thread about this

Started to notice a lump around november. Went to the docs late week and have been referred to the Northern General. Read the advice to get it dealt with early, but get the impression the medics are inclined to wait until it's time to operate

Doc was very sceptical about Needle Antropothy (sp?) Has anyone had this treatment ?

As for Glucosamine - never taken it regularly, just occasionally for a year or so.

Have got a family history - grandfather had it from about age 60, reckon we have viking blood (north east england, north west ireland....)

In reply to Chris the Tall: I have a "band" about an inch long in line with the tendon of my pinkie finger of my right hand. I was taking GS regularly for about a year during which it may or may not have started. I stopped taking GS about 6 months ago, and I don't think there has been any further growth since.

It only bothers me down the wall when climbing on big jugs on a 45 degree wall where I have to weight them fully.

Is it worth starting a library of photos somewhere so that we can get an idea of how they look.

In reply to SeanB:

I want to write more about this, but time is pressing. So only a quick infill.

How old are you? I'm fifty five, but have no family history of it.

I notice you took Glucosamine albeit for a short time, and
I see that the next two posters also took it. Maybe it is the catalyst!

In reply to escalator: Im 35.My dad has it, my gran(mums side) and her 3 brothers have it.only took Gluco for a couple of weeks and this was probably around 18months to 2 years ago now that I think about it.Ive read that there could defo be a link with it and Gluco, also to a lot of other things, Diabetes etc etc..
How are you all dealing with it with regards to climbing? Has it affected you at all?

In reply to escalator: As far as I know I have no family history of it, but it was a question I never had the chance to ask most of my relatives.

In reply to SeanB:

That is a very good idea to collect everyone's experiences of Dupuytrens.

I developed a lump in the palm of my hand on the line of the tendon below my little finger about three years ago. I was taking glucosamine before I developed it. I have since stopped.

Like you it was sore in certain circumstances - like on slopers, driving for a while etc. It grew slowly for a while and I now have a cord in my palm running along the tendon from the lump towards the wrist. However, in the last year or so, the lump itself has diminished somewhat and I've never had a problem with contraction.

What I have been doing - on the advice of a hand surgeon in Oxford - is stretching. A lot. Everyday I push back the fingers of that hand. I sometimes get a sharp, localised, pain (not just like normal stretching) while I do this - from the lump in my palm or from my wrist. I hold the stretch through the pain and it quickly subsides and my fingers and hand feel freer afterwards. I hope that regular stretching will prevent contraction but I don't know that for sure. I've had dupy for three years now and that hand is just as flexible as the other.

In reply to SeanB:
For climbing around it, I folded over an inch square bit of finger tape to make it a few layers thickness, cut a hole in the middle then taped this round my hand. Not the best solution as the tape moves a bit, rolls up and doesn't provide much grip, but it seems to work enough for my indoor punter climbing abilities. Outdoors I don't notice it, probably due to the lack of evenly slopey holds and jugs (and preference for limestone type climbing?)
I've got more used to it over time, and it doesn't seem to be getting worse, never taken glucosamine, but like someone mentioned already try to make the effort to stretch it.

In reply to Emily Goodman:

Emily. I notice from your profile that you are 23, and that ou are a lady. Given these points, it is very unusual for someone so young to get DP, and you are also in the minority group because you are female. Is there a family history? How long have you had it?

In reply to escalator: A few years older now unfortunately, not updated the profile for a while!
My grandfather on my mothers side had it, otherwise no other history that I know about. I think I'm just special in the family as I got all the recessive genes for hair colour etc! I am yet to meet any other females with it.
I first noticed the dupuytrens end of 2007 I think. At the time I was having issues with RSI and tendosynivitis (sp?) from using a laptop and laptop button mouse to do my PhD on. I wasn't climbing much at the time so I'm pretty certain the laptop was the trigger rather than climbing though.
The RSI stuff cleared up after a long break away from computers post PhD and the dupuytrens doesn't seem to be getting worse (or better). I don't think its particuarly bad though.
At the time the doctors didn't want to do anything about it unless it got a lot worse, and it hasn't, so I've just learnt to live with it. When I first noticed it I was really squeamish about it, it made me feel sick the thought of anyone touching it on my hand, even now I still don't like it being prodded, does anyone else have that??