Massage Therapy for Dupuytren's Contracture

Are you looking for holistic treatment options for Dupuytren's contracture? You may not be as alone as you think. According to the National Library of Medicine, roughly 5% of Americans over age 35 have this condition. While there is no cure for Dupuytren's contracture, many people are able to successfully manage the condition. In fact, people are increasingly utilizing chiropractic adjustments to preserve function. Take a look at what everyone dealing with Dupuytren's contracture should know about getting a handle on this affliction of the hands.

What Is Dupuytren's Contracture?

People familiar with Dupuytren's contracture associate the condition with a dysfunction of the hands and fingers. The telltale sign of Dupuytren’s contracture is an inability to fully straighten one or more fingers. In addition to causing reduced capacity for finger extensions, this condition may also create limited mobility regarding the range of bending and flexing possible. While Dupuytren’s contracture typically begins in one hand, roughly 80% of people affected by the condition will eventually develop symptoms in both hands.

What Causes Dupuytren's Contracture?

It's strongly believed that Dupuytren's contracture has genetic contributors. In fact, it is believed to be the most common inherited disorder of connective tissue. However, there are certain risk factors that can make developing this condition more likely. They include:

• Hand injuries.
• High cholesterol.
• Thyroid issues.
• Smoking.
• Excessive alcohol use.
• Liver disease.
• Diabetes.
• Certain medications.

Most people who develop Dupuytren's contracture are over the age of 50. However, symptoms can begin during childhood for some people. The condition generally presents with milder symptoms in women when compared to men.

What Are the Symptoms of Dupuytren's Contracture?

Dupuytren's contracture is a disorder of the connective tissue. As a result, it affects the connective tissue that supports muscles, joints, organs, and skin. It's believed that the shortening and thickening of connective tissues are responsible for Dupuytren's contracture symptoms. The fascia consisting of fat and fibrous tissue throughout the hands is thought to be directly involved in creating restriction. The typical progression of Dupuytren's contracture looks like this:

• Restrictions in the pinky and ring finger.
• Restrictions in the thumb that may also spread to other fingers.
• Involuntary closure of the fingers that continues to increase over time.
• Fingers becoming tightly closed together.

Most people first notice small, tough nodules under the skin in the hand. Generally, the discomfort and restriction experienced with Dupuytren's contracture will continue to get progressively worse once the first nodule appears until it becomes impossible to extend the fingers away from a curled position that tilts them toward the palm of the hand. While the loss of the ability to extend one or more fingers is the primary symptom of Dupuytren's contracture, this condition can actually create many different complications that can impact quality of life. Many people with Dupuytren's contracture experience uncomfortable inflammation throughout the hand and fingers. They may also feel extreme tension and pressure when attempting to straighten out the hand. It's also very common to experience itching, burning, and general tenderness throughout the hand.

What is most troubling of all is the fact that Dupuytren's contracture may also increase a person's risk for developing other disorders involving the connective tissue. There is some evidence to suggest that developing Dupuytren's contracture can increase a person's likelihood of developing painful knuckle nodules (Garrod pads), plantar fibromatosis, Peyronie disease, and frozen shoulder.

How Is Dupuytren's Contracture Treated?

The most common treatment option for advanced Dupuytren's contracture is surgery that involves opening the hand to remove thickened tissue. Unfortunately, having surgery performed on the delicate tissue in the hand is a risk that many people don't feel comfortable taking. What's more, it's very common for the tissue to thicken again following surgery for Dupuytren's contracture. As a result, it's very common for a person to have multiple surgeries to try to manage this condition.

Doctors will sometimes offer steroid shots to help ease the pain when symptoms become acute. An injection may help to reduce pain and inflammation in the short term. However, repeated injections are needed to help maintain the results.

People with Dupuytren's contracture are increasingly looking for ways to relax tissue at the source to remove the pain and tension they are feeling. Therapeutic massage techniques offered by chiropractors may help to provide long-term relief. Unlike surgeries and injections, manual massage treatments help to naturally reduce tension without the need for invasive measures. In studies, instrument-assisted cross-frictional massage (CFM) and stretching were found to be potential substitutes for the current invasive surgical and injection procedures that are available.

How Chiropractic Massage Therapy Helps to Treat Dupuytren's Contracture

The way that massage therapy helps to provide relief for Dupuytren's contracture may not boil down to one mechanism. Researchers believe that massage may promote an interconnected form of healing that involves several responses throughout the nervous system and musculoskeletal system. The first step to using chiropractic care to treat Dupuytren's contracture is an evaluation. This will be a time to go over medical history, risk factors, the specifics of your Dupuytren's contracture symptoms, and any other areas of the nervous system or musculoskeletal that may be suffering from blockages or inflammation.

Soft-tissue manipulation and massage can be especially beneficial during the early stages of Dupuytren's contracture. Due to the fact that this is often a progressive condition, there's simply no reason to wait to see if "it gets better" before booking an appointment with a chiropractor to try to manage symptoms. Techniques involving myofascial release, vigorous stretching, and deep longitudinal stripping may be effective at providing relief from the tightness and "curling" that are so common with Dupuytren's contracture.

Myofascial trigger point therapy is commonly used to treat Dupuytren's contracture. This technique focuses on releasing knots that are causing pain, tension, and blockages of oxygenated blood within the body. While myofascial trigger point therapy can be done anywhere in the body, the gentleness of this treatment makes it an ideal choice for the delicate tissue in the hands. It's not uncommon for chiropractors to also address blockages in the forearm muscles that could be exacerbating tension in the hand by cutting off oxygen and blood flow needed for proper circulation, tissue regeneration, and flexibility.

One of the benefits of using chiropractic care over an option like surgery or injections is that the patient gets to play an active role in managing their Dupuytren's contracture symptoms. While each session is important for stretching and loosening tissue to prevent tightness and tension, the work that is done during an office visit with a chiropractor can be continued after a patient goes home. Chiropractors advocate for patient education to allow patients to perform self-administered stretches at home. In addition, chiropractors instruct patients on ways to use better posture and movement practices to avoid adding strain and tension to the hands. In many cases, small lifestyle changes can help to slow down the progression of Dupuytren's contracture by removing sources of strain and inflammation that can cause nodules to flare up.

What Should I Do If I've Been Told I Need Surgery for Dupuytren's Contracture?

While surgery was once the standard treatment for Dupuytren's contracture, the evidence suggests that taking drastic, invasive measures may not produce the best outcome for people suffering from this condition. Seeking therapeutic massage to try to control symptoms on your own naturally before agreeing to surgery may help you to avoid the cost, risk, and long recovery time associated with Dupuytren's contracture surgery. This is true even if you have a severe case of Dupuytren's contracture. If you are in the early stages of Dupuytren's contracture, you should also be motivated to seek treatment to avoid extreme reductions in flexibility and mobility. Book an appointment with our office today to be evaluated by a chiropractor.