What is Dupuytren’s Disease?

What is Dupuytren’s disease, and can it self-heal?

Dupuytren's disease is a genetic hand problem in which the deep tissue below the skin makes excess collagen and fibrin. Dupuytren's disease self-heals in about 12% of cases. DCI works to increase this ability of the tissue to self-heal. Simply stated, Dupuytren’s disease is the beginning phase of Dupuytren’s contracture. These two slightly different names indicate two distinct stages of the same progressive hand problem.

Dupuytren’s disease is a progressive genetic hand problem in which the connective tissue layer of the palm produces excess collagen and fibrin. This extra collagen causes an area of the palm near the base of one or more fingers to thicken and become less flexible. Typically, Dupuytren’s disease first appears on the surface as a small nodule or lump in the palm.  It is often mistaken for a small blister or callus. At this early stage, the area can also form small wrinkles, dimples or pits.

Dupuytren’s contracture is the later or end stage when Dupuytren’s disease becomes a larger, more disruptive and invasive problem. During this contracture stage, the growing mass of collagen and fibrin develops a cord of dense tissue. The cord extends up and attaches to the finger closest to it. All the while, the finger cord is also thickening and contracting. This causes the cord to pull the finger down toward the palm.  It can take many months or years for this slow and gradual process to occur. The contraction process can be continuous, or it can completely stall for months or years at a time. It can even stop, start and stop again a few times before it picks up speed.

Dupuytren’s disease self-heals – spontaneous recovery 

The medical profession says there is no cure for Dupuytren’s disease. But that is not exactly true. When they say there is no cure they mean, “there is no prescription drug that cures Dupuytren, in the way that penicillin cures an infection.”

The truth is, there is a cure for Dupuytren. An undetermined percentage of people self-cure their Dupuytren without help from anyone. It happens naturally, like mending a broken bone. This is the way the body is supposed to work. Life is full of miracles, and self-healing is one of them.

The body can, and does, spontaneously repair Dupuytren disease like it heals so many other small and large health problems. Unfortunately, this does not happen every time, or in every situation.

Self-healing of Dupuytren’s disease

Sometimes the healing process needs some help to work better.  For example, every good doctor will tell a patient with a broken bone to drink extra milk, take vitamin D, wear a cast, and avoid stressing the limb.  These simple strategies help the body heal a broken bone better. The same for taking extra iron for anemia, and extra rest and vitamin C for a cold. DCI applies the same logic for designing Dupuytren’s disease treatment plans.

Based on the simple observation that some people self-heal their Dupuytren problem early, the Dupuytren’s Contracture Institute developed a natural treatment strategy to help people do a better job healing their Dupuytren disease.

As a result, people who closely follow the DCI treatment strategy early can do rather well. We hear from many people who use our large treatment plan.  Of these, 8-10 people report moderate to marked reduction of their Dupuytren, for every one report of failure. We find that the larger the treatment plan, and the better a person follows DCI suggestions, the better the Dupuytren self-heals. For information about DCI treatment plans.

>> Testimonials from Dupuytren Contracture Institute

Keeping Dupuytren’s disease self-healing a secret

However, even though Dupuytren self-healing happens, medical writers never actually use the term “self-heal,” “self-correct;” or any term close to it. On top of that, the usual term medical writers use  instead for self-healing of Dupuytren disease is to say it “goes away.”

For example, the NIH National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus.gov) admits “Dupuytren’s nodules…occasionally even go away without treatment…”  Exactly what does “go away” mean?  They do not say. The world-famous Cleveland Clinic states, “…some people’s nodules go away on their own.”  They never explain anything about how or why it would go away.  WebMD.com tells readers that palm nodules, “…may go away on their own in a small number of patients…”  The Dupuytren Research Group (Dupuytrens.org) says, “Some Dupuytren’s nodules go away without any treatment.”

Yes, the nodules go away on their own because the body can heal Dupuytren’s disease!

How often does Dupuytren’s disease go away on its own?

Even so, in these simple one-line statements about Dupuytren’s disease self-healing, something is missing.  The reader has no idea how often the body is able to self-correct or naturally eliminate Dupuytren’s disease. In these four quotes – and all the others on the internet – the reader is not told if self-healing is fairly common or is it rare. Does Dupuytren spontaneous recovery happen once in a hundred cases, or once in a million?

It is almost as though medical writers do not want to admit the body can self-heal Dupuytren’s disease.  Like they want to say as little as possible about Dupuytren disease self-healing. As a result, people believe they have only two treatment choices for their hand nodule: drugs and surgery.

Self-healing far more common than people told   

For the most part, internet readers are not told how common or uncommon it is for the Dupuytren nodule to spontaneously self-heal.

However, in a 2005, a Journal of Hand Surgery (JHS) report and follow-up study appeared discussing the progression of Dupuytren nodules over a span of 6-15 years. It covered all the usual data of history, genetic tendency, physical findings and surgeries of 59 people in the middle and later stages of Dupuytren disease. This report is unique and important because it clearly states how many times Dupuytren disease self-repair happened within this group of 59 people. This is the only time DCI has found an author who placed a number on the frequency of Dupuytren’s self-healing.

Near the bottom of the report, the author states that 12% of the 59 people (seven people) had spontaneous remission or self-0helaing of Dupuytren palm lumps.  Even though these 59 people had Dupuytren’s disease that was bad enough that they saw a specialist about their hands, for 12% of them, the Dupuytren’s nodule resolved by self-repair or spontaneous healing.

Is 12% a small or large number?

Perhaps the 12% self-correction is not an impressive number to some readers. Some might even think 12% is a small number of people. Actually, that 12% number is huge. With this number we gain important insight into the course and behavior of Dupuytren disease.

This number represents the Dupuytren disease cases that were bad enough to be in a doctor’s office for evaluation and treatment, yet somehow self-healed.  If cases of DD that are bad enough to be seen by a doctor can clear up without help, what about minor and early cases of DD?  When DD is not much more than a curious little bump, can it also clear up by self-healing?  Of course!  And probably at a much higher percentage than just 12%.  When the palm lumps are smaller, softer and less well developed, would be a much better time and opportunity for this kind of self-repair to occur.

The average percentage of Dupuytren disease that self-heals is not knowable. There is no good way to collect this kind of information.  No one goes to a hand specialist to report a small palm lump that is gone.  Who would spend the time and money to see a doctor to report a tiny problem that healed itself and is not there?  For this reason, the number of early Dupuytren’s disease hands that self-correct can only be estimated.  Perhaps, 25-50%?  Anyone’s guess.

Regardless, it is important to know that Dupuytren disease self-cures happen.  Everyone with a Dupuytren’s nodule has some potential to heal it, especially in the early stages, and probably less so in the later stages.

>> How to start Dupuytren treatment with Alternative Medicine

Reasonable assumptions

We have seen that 12% of 59 people self-healed their Dupuytren’s disease during the middle and later stages. This happened without the benefit of any nutritional, physical therapy, stretching or enzyme treatment.  It happened spontaneously.  It seems reasonable to assume that if these same 59 people received adequate nutritional, physical therapy, stretching and enzyme treatment assistance during the middle and later stages of Dupuytren’s disease, the percentage of people who self-healed would have been larger.

Further, it seems reasonable that if 12% self-healed in the middle and later stages of DD, an even larger percent self-healed in the early stage. This would likely happen because in the early stage of Dupuytren disease the connective tissue mass in the palm is softer, smaller and less infiltrated with excess collagen and fibrin. As an example, it is reasonable to assume that a greater percentage of people self-heal their minor cold or sniffles while the problem is smaller, than when it gets worse and becomes pneumonia.

Lastly, DCI treatment verifies that people self-heal Dupuytren disease.  When people use the large DCI treatment plan, good things can happen. DCI receives 8-10 reports of moderate to marked improvement, even elimination, of the palm lump, for every one report of failure.

>> How to start Dupuytren treatment with Alternative Medicine

 

Garrod’s Pads Treatment and Dupuytren’s Contracture

Garrod’s Pads Treatment 

>> Testimonials for Dupuytren Contracture Institute

>> Dupuytren Contracture Treatment – FAQs

Garrod’s pads and Dupuytren’s contracture treatment

Garrod's pads are often associated with Dupuytren's contracture. Garrod's knuckle pads are a fibromatosis of the hand. They are also called Dupuytren nodules, and safely treated with natural alternative medicine and no side effects. Since 2002, Dupuytren’s Contracture Institute has worked with over 800 people whose primary complaint was Garrod’s pads. In addition, DCI notes that Garrod’s knuckle pads occur in combination with Dupuytren’s contracture in 20-30% of people who come to DCI for help.  Combined, these two groups total of over 2,000 people with Garrod’s pads who have used DCI treatment. They totally eliminated or significantly reduced their knuckle deformity, or at least eliminated all pain and limitation it causes.

Based on the reports of natural treatment progress from people DCI works with, the results are very good to excellent.  DCI receives 8-10 reports of moderate to marked improvement of palm lumps and cords for each failure reported, when using the DCI large treatment plan. Improvement of dense and painful knuckle pads is even better. In fact, we often tell people that Garrod’s pads typically improve before they notice a change in their DC.

Start  Dupuytren’s contracture treatment  

Usually, people who use a large DCI treatment plan report that their Garrod’s pads respond faster than their Dupuytren’s contracture.

The typical Garrod’s knuckle pad responds to the large DCI treatment plan by becoming smaller, softer, less painful, less dark, as well as the fingers feeling less stiff and painful, in a few weeks. Rarely do we work with someone whose Garrod’s nodules show some degree or type of improvement.  How long treatment takes to reach complete and final improvement depends on a variety of factors like genetic predisposition, severity, age of the individual, duration, if hand surgery was used previously, etc.

While a few got a small amount of improvement, most benefitted to a moderate to great degree. Of course, all treatment was safe and natural. Without drugs or surgery, and no side effects.

About Garrod’s knuckle pads

Typically, Garrod’s knuckle pads are well-defined and smooth lumps or thickening on the dorsal (back) of one or more finger joints.  Garrod’s nodules or pads are a form of fibromatosis (excess collagen and fibrin production), just like Dupuytren’s contracture (palmar fibromatosis), Ledderhose syndrome (plantar fibromatosis) and Peyronie’s disease (penile fibromatosis).

Our records show every person with Garrod’s pads benefitted in some way by our natural treatment methods.

Start  Dupuytren’s contracture treatment  

Clinical features

A history of repetitive injury to this part of the hand from work or sports activity is often present.  However, it sometimes happens that Garrod’s knuckles develop without any physical explanation.

Knuckle pads can look like calluses on the skin, where the skin thickens and loses its elasticity. The cause of Garrod’s pads is excess fibrous tissue (collagen and fibrin) in or under the skin. Because this problem is a fibromatosis of the fingers, it usually runs in families, but can also appear as a sporadic occurrence.

Garrod’s pads can appear in one or both hands, at any or all fingers, one joint or many.

They mainly affect the PIP finger joint (joint closest to the hand).  Less often they appear at a knuckle (MCP or metacarpophalangeal/first joint) or distal interphalangeal (DIP/third) joint of a finger. In severe cases, this dark, raised and rough tissue can also appear away from the knuckles, on the sides of the hand or elsewhere on the upper extremity.  Some clinicians even apply the name to other parts of the body.  Although the hands are by far most commonly affected, other areas and joints, such as the feet and knees, may be involved.

When appearing along with Dupuytren’s contracture, Garrod pads usually suggests a more aggressive form of the Dupuytren disease problem.

In the U.S and the rest of the world knuckle pads are a common occurrence.  The prevalence of knuckle pads is difficult to determine because this problem often does not cause physical symptoms.  Thus, people do not often seek medical care for them. Knuckle pads can be present in any age group, with the most common in adults 40 years of age and older, especially males who engage in heavy manual labor.

Pain associated with knuckle pads

Pain associated with Garrod’s pads is greatly variable. For some people there is no pain.  Most, and for others the pain is intense and constant.  Further, for some, pain is only when touched or when the finger moves. This suggests a connection between the Garrod’s pad and the tendon sheath of the finger.

When firm, the knuckle pads or nodules may be only tender to palpation, otherwise they do not cause pain or other symptoms.   These nodules are closely adherent to the skin in Dupuytren contracture while movement of the nodule during finger flexion/extension suggests an association with the tendon sheath.

Treatment for Garrod’s pads  

Treatment for Garrod’s pad makes sense when knuckle pads cause pair or otherwise affect the use of the hand.  Surgery can be considered after safer conservative natural DCI treatment has not been successful.  Please read about the DCI treatment protocol.

Start  Dupuytren’s contracture treatment  

 

 

Dupuytren’s Contracture Self-Help

How to do Dupuytren’s contracture home treatment  

Dupuytren’s contracture self-help: 5 easy steps  

This website is all about Dupuytren’s contracture self-help.  Meaning, DCI helps people use do-it-yourself natural treatment strategies specifically for Dupuytren’s contracture.  However, the difference with DCI self-care is that you are not alone.  You will not have to guess about your Dupuytren’s contracture self-help.  Everything you need – all therapy products and information about them – is together, all in one place.  You will know what to do, when to do it, and how much to use.  That being the case, let DCI be your source for home treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture.

Since 2004, DCI has worked with 1000s of people doing Dupuytren’s contracture self-care.  We average 8-10 reports of moderate to marked success with Dupuytren’s contracture natural treatment, for every one report of failure – when doing Dupuytren’s contracture self-help as we suggest.

Using natural remedies for Dupuytren’s contracture self-directed treatment appeals to people.  Very often, however, they do not know how or where to begin.  They are not sure which, or how many, vitamins, mineral and enzymes to use.  DCI has all this figured out for you.  There is no guessing with the DCI method.  Best of all, each treatment plan comes with complete detailed information for the best results possible.

DCI Dupuytren’s self-care in a nutshell

Dupuytren's contracture self-help treatment in a nutshell is easy. Basically, the central idea of the DCI method is to “gang up” on the fibrous palm lump. Attack the problem from several different directions – with different kinds of therapies – at the same time.  This combines nutrients (coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, l-arginine etc.) for soft tissue healing, fibrin-eating enzymes, plus stretching, ultrasound, DMSO, etc.  Whatever medical science says helps heal Dupuytren’s contracture, we include in the mix.   No one else does Dupuytren’s contracture self-help like DCI.

There are no short cuts

The key to DCI home treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture is simple.  If you want the best results possible for your DC, do all five steps.

Remember, natural vitamins, minerals and enzymes are not forceful and dangerous drugs.  By comparison, these therapies are gentle.  They cannot make your body do anything.  Instead, they allow your body to work better by supplying those nutrients needed for thousands of healthful chemical reactions in the body.  This generous supply of various nutrients supports and encourages a stalled or slow DC healing process to work better.

Small, occasional or brief Dupuytren’s contracture self-help treatment will not get the job done.  Natural treatment works best when done as aggressively as possible.  Do not limit Dupuytren’s contracture home care to only what is convenient, easy or appeals to you.  Do all five steps, and do them faithfully and well.

5-steps for Dupuytren’s contracture self-help

  1. Get started – Select a plan                                                                                                       

HOW TO SELECT YOUR BEST SELF HELP TREATMENT PLAN

First, decide how you want to treat your problem.  This often comes down to deciding how much time, money and effort to devote to your recovery.  In addition, you should listen to your doctor’s opinion how to do home treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture.

Most people use one of the three DCI treatment plans – small, medium or large.  By far, the large treatment plan is the most popular.   A small percent of customers design their own unique plans.  Of these, they often add to or subtract from an existing plan to suit their needs.

Dupuytren’s contracture is a tough problem to treat.  Even small and early DC problems can be very stubborn and slow to respond.  In these cases, the large plan offers a great advantage based on the diversity of therapies, and earns faster results.  This can save time, money and effort in the long run.

Of course, there are reasons a person would want to use as few therapies as possible – cost being the most obvious.  A good strategy to reduce cost is to shorten treatment time and avoid hand surgery, by getting better results.  Repeatedly, we see good treatment results come to those who work hand and use a diverse and balanced mix of internal and external therapies.

See what you can accomplish first with conservative self-help treatment.  Do as much as you can, and be as aggressive as possible, for at least 3-4 months to give your hand enough time to respond.

For a great starting point to a select treatment plan.    HOW TO SELECT A SELF HELP TREATMENT PLAN

  1. Internal therapies

Taking MSM, nattokinase, PABA, acetyl-L-carnitine, etc., is a guarantee of taking everything the hand needs to eliminate the Dupuytren’s contracture lump and cord.   The broader and more diverse the internal therapies that are used, the better the results tend to be.

Science says these particular supplements found on the DCI website are involved in the Dupuytren’s contracture healing process.  They supply a wide variety of nutrients for the large and complex biological process of healing the DC palm lump and finger cord.  Give your tissue all the nutrients it needs.  Prepare your body to heal DC to the best of its ability.

Link – All Internal Therapies used in a Dupuytren’s contracture home treatment plan.

  1. External therapies

This refers to another layer of DC treatment applied directly to the palm, from the outside.  External therapies focus an entirely different kind of treatment directly to fibrous DC tissue.

DCI suggests using one or more external therapies:

  1. DMSO trio – Each is applied on top of the palm lump and finger cord to soften the thick fibrous tissue. Consists of:
  • DMSO – from the laboratory of Stanley Jacobs, MD, pioneer of DCSO research
  • Super CP Serum – Copper peptide
  • Vitamin E oil – high A. C. Grace quality as found in capsules
  1. Ultrasound – the non-drug treatment of choice for many soft tissue problems. Detailed instructions, easy to understand, come with each unit.

DCI offers a lightweight, portable, affordable 3 MHz ultrasound instrument.  It is popular for several reasons:

  • Good reports of effectiveness from users
  • No pain; comfortable to apply
  • Safe, no side effects
  • Do at home, anytime and day
  • Applied directly to the problem tissue
  • Easy to apply
  • Economical
  1. Moist heat – to increase circulation and soft fibrous tissue. Saturate a large towel with hot water and wring it out, or a moisture-proof heating pad applied to the hand.

Link – All External Therapies used in a Dupuytren’s contracture self-help plan

  1. Diet

This has nothing to do with losing weight. Keep it simple.  Avoid those foods that give you digestive trouble.  Keep your digestive tract happy. This will improve absorption of necessary nutrients for better health and healing.

  1. Avoid specific foods that bother you.  Examples:
  • Onions
  • Hot, spicy foods
  • Pizza
  • Alcohol
  • Sea food
  • Pickles
  • Nuts, etc.
  1. Avoid general or broad food categories that bother you.  Examples:
  • Gluten
  • MSG
  • Dairy
  • Caffeine
  • Sulfites
  • Lactose
  • Amines, etc.
  1. Stretching

Gently and frequently, stretch the tight palm tissues.  Think of it as gently coaxing the lump and cord to relax and lengthen.   Sneak up on it.

Link – Detailed information about gentle palm stretching for Dupuytren’s contracture.

Understanding Dupuytren’s contracture home treatment    

Dupuytren's contracture self-help strategies must be done faithfully and aggressively. What the medical profession says about using nutrition for Dupuytren’s contracture self-help comes from their drug research.

All standard medical research for nutrients is the same.  They test a single nutrient (MSM, PABA or vitamin E, etc.) as a solo or stand-alone therapy.  This is the same way they test powerful drugs.  Naturally, any nutrient tested this way fails, or does poorly.  Yet, they report it is a failure of the nutrient, when it is really their failure to understand the difference between how vitamins and drugs work.

For example, to evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin E against Dupuytren’s contracture, they test two large groups of people with DC.  One group receives vitamin E, or more likely a synthetic vitamin E.  The other group receives a sugar pill – a placebo.  Neither group knows if they are taking the vitamin E or the placebo.  At the end of the research, the hands of both groups are evaluated for changes. The purpose of doing it this way is to see what effect vitamin E – and only vitamin E – has on Dupuytren’s contracture.

Such research is faulty because nutrients exist and work in combinations with other nutrients.  No nutrient exists or operates alone anywhere in nature.   You cannot find a drop of pure vitamin E by itself in nature.  It does not happen that way.  All nutrients exist in large combinations because they work together in combinations.  Yet, medical research tests vitamins in isolation, each by itself.  One type or category of vitamin does not heal Dupuytren’s contracture.  A large group of vitamins, minerals and enzymes do.  Yet, all vitamins testing is done like this.  It does not make sense.

Medical opinion about Dupuytren’s contracture self-help   

A person cannot get information about natural Dupuytren’s contracture self-help in the average medical office.

MDs are experts who specialize in drugs and surgery.  However, they do not study nutrition.  Instead, they study chemistry as it relates to drugs. Thus, only a rare MD knows much about nutrition or natural healing.  If you ask your local MD about nutrition for Dupy, most likely you will be told, “Well, I guess you could try some vitamin E,” and not much more than that.  The average MD uses vitamin E like it is a drug.  Meaning, they use vitamin E all by itself.  As a solo therapy.it is expected to make a magical difference for a complex and difficult problem.  They use all nutrients this way.  That is why they get poor results with them, guaranteed.

For this reason, the average MD firmly believes that only drugs and surgery could possibly help Dupuytren’s contracture.   They believe that Dupuytren’s contracture home treatment is a waste of time.  Still, they deny the shortcomings of Dupuytren’s contracture drug treatment and hand surgery.

Currently, the only way to do natural Dupuytren’s contracture treatment is to do it yourself.  Many things in life are like this.  If you want something, sometimes you just have to do it yourself.   Good luck with your Dupuytren’s contracture self-help treatment.

For information about Peyronie’s disease.

 

Dupuytren’s contracture ultrasound

Dupuytren’s contracture ultrasound treatment – 3 MHz at-home unit

Ultrasound treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture

Dupuytren’s contracture ultrasound treatment is a non-invasive therapy applied directly on the DC fibrous tissue in the hand.  Ultrasound for Dupuytren’s contracture has a great therapeutic effect, especially on the soft tissue.  Soft tissue is high in collagen and fibrin cells. Examples of soft tissue are muscles, tendons, ligaments, muscles and scars.  Add Dupuytren’s contracture to that list because palm lumps and finger cords are mostly made of collagen and fibrin. In fact, ultrasound therapy is the non-drug treatment of choice for many soft tissue problems. Clearly, Dupuytren’s contracture is a soft tissue problem ideally suited for ultrasound treatment.

Using ultrasound for Dupuytren’s contracture makes sense. After all, the palm nodule and finger cord are made of the same type III collagen and fibrin normally found in the palm.  The problem is, in DC there is too much of it.  For this reason, ultrasound treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture is a popular therapy that appeals to people.

People like treating Dupuytren’s contracture with ultrasound for several reasons:

  1. No pain; comfortable to apply
  2. Good reports of effectiveness from users
  3. Safe, no side effects
  4. Do at home, anytime and day
  5. Applied directly to the problem tissue
  6. Easy to apply
  7. Economical
  8. Can also be used to treat arthritis of small joints

Ultrasound treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture was included into the DCI large treatment plan in 2012.  That same year DCI started to advise adding it to any plan that was not working well.  Since then, many times over, ultrasound has made all the difference to ineffective plans that needed a little boost.

3 MHZ Ultrasound Information

DCI experience with Dupuytren’s contracture ultrasound treatment

Because 72% of DCI customers combine ultrasound into larger size plans, DCI treatment results are good.  Indications are that ultrasound boosts Dupuytren’s contracture treatment results. When our treatment suggestions are carefully used, 8-10 people report moderate to marked improvement of their DC, for every one report of failure. Indeed, Dupuytren’s contracture ultrasound treatment is an important part of that success.

What is ultrasound?

It is not complicated. Simply, ultrasound is high-pitched (high frequency) sound a human cannot hear. Specifically, ultrasound is sound greater than a frequency of 20,000 Hz.

The abbreviation Hz stands for hertz. Hertz is a unit of measurement to count vibrations that happen in one second. One hertz (Hz) means something vibrates one time in one second. 17 Hz means something vibrates 17 times in one second. When something vibrates a million times in a second, it is abbreviated 1 MHz. This is important. 1 MHz is a common sound frequency when discussing ultrasound. And, so is 3 MHz.

For reference, the frequency of the human voice is 85 to 255 Hz. Further, the human ear can hear within a range of 20 to 20,000 Hz. At 1 MHz, ultrasound cannot be hear by any human. Not even by a bat.

When electricity passes through a small mineral crystal, it will vibrate.This vibration creates sound. Like when a bell vibrates and makes a sound. The sound frequency depends on the size and shape of the crystal.  As we already know, ultrasound vibrations can go well past a million per second. Once created, ultrasound waves pass from the sound head of the machine, and travel into any tissue it contacts.

Sound energy moves whatever it contacts.  When ultrasound energy contacts the human body, that part of the body will vibrate at the same fast frequency, also.  Further, ultrasound vibrations will transfer into abnormal, malfunctioning or injured tissue. As we will see, this is important because vibrating living cells makes them work faster and better.  This is the key to why Dupuytren’s contracture ultrasound treatment is so important.

This is fast        

There are two kinds of medical ultrasound:
1.  Diagnostic ultrasound – to create images (ultrasonography) and for information to make a diagnosis.

2.  Therapeutic ultrasound – to treat pain, reduce inflammation, reduce spasm, and promote healing, primarily of soft tissue in the body.

In a medical clinic or hospital, ultrasound machines are large and produce sound at a frequency of 1,000,000 cycles per second (1 MHz). They are useful for treating a variety of problems in all areas of the body.  However, in the last 10 years, even faster ultrasound frequencies have appeared.

Specifically, there are 2,000,000 (2 MHz) and 3,000,000 (3 MHz) ultrasound units now available.  At these higher frequencies, something interesting happens.  Slower ultrasound penetrates the tissue deeper than faster ultrasound.  A 2 MHz sound wave does not go as deep into the body as a 1 MHz sound wave.  And, a 3 MHz sound wave does not go as deep as a 2 MHz sound wave.  Either way, faster ultrasound energy creates resistance to deep penetration, keeping the sound energy at the surface.  While the slower sound energy allows deeper penetration. There are times and situations when it is important to keep the ultrasound energy at the top layers of the body.  Such as, ultrasound treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture.

Currently, there are 3 MHz units that are battery operated making them potable, smaller, lighter, easier to use and less expensive.  These battery operated 3 MHz units are ideal for Dupuytren’s contracture ultrasound treatment at-home use.

3 MHZ Ultrasound Information

Dupuytren's contracture ultrasound treatment for self-help at-home 3 MHz therapy with the HS-3040 What does ultrasound therapy do?

Doctors use therapeutic ultrasound primarily for soft tissue (tendon, ligament, muscle and joint) problems. Soft tissue responds better to ultrasound than any other tissue (liver, bone, brain, etc.).  This is so because soft tissue has a high collagen and fibrin content.  Collagen and fibrin are very high in protein. This is why we eat meat, because of the collagen and fibrin found in meat. It is the protein of collagen and fibrin that responds so well to the vibration and up-regulation of the metabolism.

When tissue vibrates so fast, a few things happen that are important to all soft tissue problems, especially Dupuytren’s contracture:

  • Heating effect:  Warms the tissue by vibration and friction, caused by sound waves hitting and shaking the tissues. Just like rubbing your hands together. However, this heating happens deep below the surface where there are no nerve endings. For this reason, the patient cannot feel the tissue becoming warmer. Remember, this warming benefits the DC healing process. A heating pad or hot water bottle can only warm the surface of the body.  It only feels hot on the surface. The heat cannot get down deeply because blood circulation carries the heat away. Ultrasound warms all tissues faster than the blood can cool them.  In fact, it even warms the blood vessels.  As important as this thermal effect is, the non-thermal effects are even more powerful.
  • Non-heating effects:
  • CAVITATION – the formation of dissolved temporary gas cavities or voids within body fluids and tissue cells.  Formation of these gas voids increases the metabolic activity of cell membranes. Cavitation also increases the effect of the acoustic streaming phenomena, next.  These cavities collapse almost immediately, releasing a large amount of energy.  In turn, this results in additional deep warming.

  • ACOUSTIC STREAMING – a small-scale ripple effect of any fluid near a vibrating structure, such as cell membranes or fluids inside a cell.  This is an extremely powerful form of fluid movement.  It increases the activity and metabolism of any cell in the energy stream.  It makes sodium and calcium ions pass more easily through cell walls.  In turn, enzymes work better, protein metabolism is increased, and the cells function at a faster rate.  Consequently, all these changes “up regulate,” or excite cellular activity.  Thus, ultrasound acoustic streaming acts as a trigger to increase the therapeutic outcome of healing and repair.

  • MICROMASSAGE – a mechanical shaking or vibration, enhancing tissue fluid interchange, as well as cellular movement.

In summary, the combined effects of cavitation, acoustic streaming, and micromassage is that the metabolism of cell membranes is “excited” (up regulated) by these waves of energy.  Of course, this is a good thing to assist ultrasound therapy for Dupuytren’s contracture repair.

Not all therapeutic ultrasound the same

Use 3 MHz, not 1 MHz – keep in case the above title must be eliminated

Dupuytren’s contracture is a relatively superficial soft tissue problem.  The dense fibrous tissue is immediately below the skin surface.  Any ultrasound machine used to treat Dupuytren’s contracture must have a particular frequency range to keep the therapeutic sound waves within the palm lump and finger cord.  A 1MHz machine penetrates too deeply to be effective for Dupuytren’s contracture. This sound frequency is good for treating large joint problems of the hip, knee and low back. By contrast, a 3 MHz unit penetrates just a little below the surface, for cosmetic problems like facial wrinkles and skin discoloration.  What is more, it is ideal to treat Dupuytren’s contracture.

To summarize, use 3 MHz ultrasound to treat Dupuytren’s contracture.  A faster 3MHz unit produces ultrasound that works near the surface of the skin, where the problem of DC is located. Not deep down The sound waves of the 1 MHz and 2 MHz ultrasound machines travel too deeply for good Dupuytren’s contracture ultrasound treatment.

Using ultrasound treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture

Full instructions for using our 3MHz ultrasound machine come with each DCI order.  You will have all the information you need to use ultrasound correctly for Dupuytren’s contracture therapy. The DCI notes make it easy to use ultrasound at home.  No one complains they do not understand.

As good as ultrasound therapy for Dupuytren’s contracture might be, it is still not an effective solo or stand-alone therapy against DC. But then again, no single therapy is an effective solo or stand-alone treatment against this difficult problem. For this reason, DCI does not recommend anyone use one single treatment method – no matter what it is – against Dupuytren’s contracture. Many medical studies test treating Dupuytren’s contracture with ultrasound, using it as a stand-alone or solo therapy. DCI does not recommend doing it that way.It takes a lot sometimes to support an effective effort to reverse Dupuytren’s contracture.

Dupuytren’s contracture ultrasound treatment is not a magic bullet or cure for palm lumps and finger cords. It only helps the healing process.  Ultrasound is a great tool to assist the healing process. Regardless, it still takes a lot of time and work to get the job done to the best of your ability.

Please discuss the use of ultrasound for Dupuytren’s contracture with your medical doctor. Natural Health Education LLC and DCI will assume you have talked to your doctor and gotten approval for ultrasound use in your case, or you will not order this medical device.

How to Reverse Dupuytren’s Contracture

How to reverse Dupuytren’s contracture

Can Dupuytren’s contracture be reversed, really?  

Reverse Dupuytren's contracture to stop growth and development, by supporting ability to heal better.First, before answering this question, it is important to explain what it means to reverse Dupuytren’s contracture (DC).

Medical literature explains the usual progression of DC in detail.  It describes how growth of the palm lump, or finger cord, can stop and slow down as it develops.  Further, these changes can go so far that the Dupuytren’s contracture even self-heals in its early stages.  This can take place over a span of many months, or even years.  This variable development of DC occurs only because the body can affect the fibrous DC tissue.  That being the case, these minor and brief changes can go as far as being able to self-heal or reverse Dupuytren’s contracture.

It is reasonable to look upon this stopping, slowing and reversing of Dupuytren’s contracture as an incomplete or failed healing.  The body always tries to be well.  Accordingly, the body is programmed to heal itself to the best of its ability. It is how we survive. Sometimes the healing works, and sometimes it does not.  For this reason, the best and easiest way to reverse Dupuytren’s contracture is to help the body heal itself.  Using the DCI treatment strategy increases the odds for the body to do a better job of healing and repair. Think of it as a way of taking advantage of a natural process that needs a little help.

Body is smarter than science

There is a lot that science does not know.  Science still does not completely understand how the body does the thousands of common daily activities, like:

  • Making a red blood cell
  • Digesting food
  • Regulating blood pressure
  • Thinking a thought
  • Mending a broken bone

Specifically, medical science freely admits it knows little about DC.  It is not necessary for science to understand how the body self-heals DC.  The DCI encourages how the body reverses Dupuytren’s contracture, even if the process is a mystery.

Help the body reverse Dupuytren’s contracture, naturally

The DCI therapy method is simple and direct.  Supplying certain vitamins, minerals and enzymes floods the problem tissue with what it needs to heal most effectively.   A few dietary changes and external therapies support healing further. The idea is to assist the body to repair a little better than it is currently, and in this way reverse Dupuytren’s contracture.

DC is a tough and stubborn problem. A general going into war will use as many different weapons from different directions, as possible. DCI does something similar.  It is not a small effort to reverse Dupuytren’s contracture.  It requires intense and aggressive treatment effort, from different directions, to support successful healing.

Once you see how to stop Dupuytren’s contracture, it is not complicated, and makes sense.  Brief outline of DCI treatment method:

  1. Dietary avoidance – Strictly avoid those foods that give you digestive trouble. Keep your digestive tract happy. In this way, there is improved absorption of necessary nutrients for better healing.
    A.  Any specific food sensitivity.  Examples:
    1) Onions                                             2) Spicy, hot foods
    3) Pizza                                                4) Sea food
    5) Pickles                                             6) Nuts, etc.
    B.  General or broad food sensitivity.  Examples:
    1)  Gluten                                            2)  Carbohydrates
    3)  MSG                                              4)  Dairy
    5)  Caffeine                                         6)  Sulfites
    7)  Amines, etc.
  2. DCI treatment plans – more information about DCI treatment plans
    A. Vitamins, minerals and enzymes important to reversing Dupuytren’s contracture – used internally
    1) The key to using these DCI plans is to take them correctly in combination on a
    gradually increasing dosage schedule
    B. DMSO trio – used externally
    C. Ultrasound therapy – used externally
  3. DCI hand stretching exercises

Apply all these therapies at the same time.  Follow the specific instructions provided with each plan.

Effectiveness of DCI therapy plans to reverse Dupuytren’s contracture

DCI has been around since 2004.  It works with men and women to help them at least slow, and sometimes reverse, their Dupuytren’s contracture.  Reports we receive indicate 8-10 people see moderate to marked success over their DC, for every one report of failure.   Those who closely follow the DCI instructions they are given, and allow enough time for the tissue to respond, get better results. Please refer to Start Dupuytren treatment.

Not all DC gets worse

Not all cases of DC look, act, develop, or end up the same.  There are always minor differences between cases. All the experts agree on that.  One of these differences is whether there is improvement, or reversal, of the palm lump, especially during the early stages. This improvement or reversal can be minor or great.  The reversal can also be brief, followed by a return of the Dupuytren’s contracture palm lump.  On the other hand, permanent when the palm lump reversal never returns.

Some experts say DC is permanent and constant, and never reverses itself.  Other experts report that DC will sometimes improve.  But then again, there are always differences of opinion, even among the experts.

Primarily, someone’s view about reversing Dupuytren’s contracture depends on his or her experience.  Those who talk only occasionally to a few DC cases might not hear much about self-correction.  DCI talks to people from around the world, and hears hundreds of stories about reversal.  For example, DCI records show 5-10% of people with DC report one or two brief periods of reversal or improvement of the palm lump in the early stages. This is a small percent, but significant when the reversals become permanent.  This is where DCI would like to see all people.

Reversal of Dupuytren’s contracture is great news for anyone with a palm lump or finger cord.  When a palm nodule or finger cord reverses, even a little, it is a small and imperfect variation of DC healing.  Reversal means a person has hope, a chance, to push it even further to complete healing.

Can you reverse Dupuytren’s contracture with hand surgery?

You might think, “Why do all this work?  I can have some kind of hand surgery, like needle aponeurotomy or a fasciectomy, to reverse my Dupuytren’s contracture.  Snip, snip, and it is gone, right?”

No. Hand surgery of any type, even the hand surgery of a Xiaflex injection, does not reverse Dupuytren’s contracture.  After DC hand surgery, the hand still has the tendency to over-produce fibrous tissue.  And it often does just that. The purpose of DC hand surgery is to do only one specific thing:  To improve finger movement as much as possible.  Not to get rid of Dupuytren’s contracture.

Dupuytren’s contracture surgery removes just enough fibrous palm tissue to allow the fingers to move better – for a while. However, some abnormal fibrous tissue remains behind after surgery.  Removal of it all is impossible. For this reason, too much fibrous tissue can still be created after  injury, or other reasons. Meaning, the palm lump and finger cord can grow back in time.  The term for this is Dupuytren’s contracture recurrence.

Dupuytren’s contracture recurrence

Reverse Dupuytren's contracture without hand surgery so their is no Dupuytren's contracture recurrenceCommonly, 2-4 years (sometimes as soon as 6 months, or as long as 10 years or more) after DC surgery, the palm lump or finger cord will return.  Because of this, half the people who contact DCI for advice have had one or more hand surgeries. These people often say the same sad thing. They thought their first Dupuytren’s contracture hand surgery would eliminate their hand problem. They thought their hand would be normal after their first surgery. The opposite happens.

When DC returns after hand surgery, the hand can become worse for three reasons:

  1. A little normal skin and muscle tissue is lost with each hand surgery.  After a few hand surgeries, those losses add up.  The hand becomes clumsy, weak, or achy.   In addition, each hand surgery damages normal and healthy nerves and blood vessels. This results in inevitable pain, numbness and circulatory issues.  Even excellent surgeries leave the hand less than perfect.
  2. Each surgery leaves behind some old DC fibrous tissue that can continue to cause problems, as it continues to grow larger. Think of pruning a bush to stimulate new growth.
  3. Each surgery can stimulate new Dupuytren’s contracture fibrous tissue that can further contract the palm and fingers.  The new DC naturally grows larger.  Think of stirring up a beehive.

This explains why so many patients with Dupuytren’s contracture have so many hand surgeries.  It is common for someone who develops DC in their 50s to have 2-5 hand surgeries by the time they are in their 70s.  The record number DCI has heard about is one person having 11 Dupuytren’s contracture hand surgeries. So, no, the idea you can reverse Dupuytren’s contracture with surgery is not true.

Conclusion

Everyone who has palm lumps, finger cords and contracted fingers wants to know how to stop Dupuytren’s contracture.  Medical science only thinks about drugs and surgery.