Joint diseases are one of the most common diseases in recent years. Often there is a condition such as contracture, when the flexion of the joint is very painful or completely impossible. One of the varieties is Dupuytren's contracture. Treatment with folk remedies (reviews about it are mostly positive) helps to cope with the disease if it is not started.
Dupuytren's contracture
The disease is expressed by excessive growth of tendon tissues and their deformation, as a result of which the fingers are fixed in a bent position, and their extension is limited, which entails partial or complete immobility. This can lead to the loss of the main function of the brush. Localization of the process takes place in the palm of your hand. In the area of the damaged tendon, a seal develops in the form of a leathery nodule. Most often, the tendons of the ring finger and little finger on the right hand are affected.
Dupuytren 's
contracture disease got its name from the French doctor, who described in detail the clinical picture of this disease. The most common ailment occurs in men in adulthood, while in women it occurs 10 times less often. At an early stage, it is possible to apply treatment with folk remedies. But with a progressive course of the disease, most often you can not do without surgical intervention.
Stages
Given the symptoms, 4 stages of Dupuytren's contracture can be distinguished:
1. The formation of a small nodule or seal on the palm of a size of 0.5 to 1 cm, which does not interfere in everyday life. Only sometimes with palpation pain is possible.
2. The weight increases in size, spreading to the main phalanx of the finger, the skin in this place becomes rougher, wrinkles and funnel-shaped depressions appear on it. Extension function is limited, but not significantly, therefore, with timely diagnosis of a disease such as Dupuytren's contracture, treatment without surgery can still give a positive result.
3. The process is distributed in such a way that the deficit of extension can reach 90 degrees. To bring the finger to a fully extended position, palmar capsulotomy is often required. To fully restore the extension of the finger, surgical intervention is necessary.
4. The pathological process captures the tendon apparatus and articular structures. Dupuytren's contracture may ultimately lead to non-flexion of the affected finger. The operation at this stage does not always give a positive result. In some cases, it comes to amputation.
Symptoms
The clinical picture has its own characteristics. The appearance on the palm of a dense nodule in the metacarpophalangeal joint, along with limiting the possibility of extension of the finger, is the main sign of the disease. A gradual increase in this seal in size leads to a shortened tendon and the formation of contracture in the interphalangeal joint.
In the affected area, funnel-shaped depressions and bulges are clearly visible. Pain in the first stages of the disease is practically absent. They are complained of by no more than 10% of patients who are diagnosed with Dupuytren's contracture. Photos of the expressed signs of the disease demonstrate that it is quite difficult to confuse them with the symptoms of any other diseases.
Diagnostics
Often, patients go to the doctor when the disease is started and the functions of the hand are already impaired. Even at the earliest stages, the diagnosis is determined by the characteristic clinical picture by palpation, determining the degree of finger mobility, by assessing the amplitude of joint movements (without using any laboratory tests). Of great importance is the timely diagnosis of Dupuytren's contracture. Treatment without surgery using conservative methods in this case can have a positive effect.
Causes of occurrence
Most scientists believe that the main cause of the disease lies in the hereditary inferiority of the connective tissue, as well as in the insufficient recovery of adenosine triphosphoric acid. A number of factors can provoke the disease: age-related problems (arthritis, arthrosis), chronic injuries of the palm surface associated with difficult working conditions, bad habits, lack of blood circulation. All this contributes to the development of Dupuytren's contracture disease. The reasons may be other, for example, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, nervous system, epilepsy.
Movement treatment. Doctors reviews
According to doctors, one of the most effective methods of treatment and prophylaxis is conducting therapeutic exercises. Properly selected movements cause an increase in nutrition in the periarticular tissues, contribute to the normalization of metabolism, thereby reducing the risk of Dupuytren's contracture. Gymnastics includes such an exercise as extensor charging, when, using a healthy hand, the patient performs the development of the fingers of the affected hand, conducting their smooth extension in combination with stroking movements of the forearm.
Of the active exercises, as noted by doctors, the most effective exercises using simulators. They can be purchased at any sports store. These are special balls for a brush, spring or rubber exercise machines expanders. Applying them for a month for 15-20 minutes daily, you can significantly increase the strength of the stretched muscles.
According to experts, only with persistence and perseverance can such an illness as Dupuytren's contracture be overcome. Treatment with folk remedies has good reviews, but it will be effective only when simple exercises for developing the muscles of the hands are added to it. They are aimed at stretching shortened and strengthening weak muscles. An integrated approach, including physiotherapy exercises, is very important in this disease.
If you can visit the physiotherapy room, you should not miss it either.
Folk remedies. Reviews
It is widely used by people who have revealed Dupuytren's contracture, treatment with folk remedies. Reviews of the use of various home methods confirm that with their help you can significantly slow down or even stop the progression of the disease. Every evening, patients apply ointments and rubbing, prepared independently.
Treatment of the disease with folk remedies requires maximum care, so you need to allocate time for it. The effectiveness of traditional medicine recipes, as noted by patients, is especially high in the early stages of the disease, as well as in the postoperative period. The main methods of combating the disease is the use of rasters, baths, compresses.
The most popular is the bath with peeling potatoes, carrots, onions and beets. Put the cleanings in a large saucepan, pour water and add a spoonful of salt and 20 drops of iodine tincture (for 5 liters of cleanings). Cook the whole mass until the vegetables soften, then cool to a temperature of 40 degrees and lower a sore hand into it for 10 minutes, trying to straighten your fingers. After the procedure, wrap the brush with a warm towel.
The use of massage and compresses
A massage with butter, as the patients testify, also helps to get rid of such an ailment as Dupuytren's contracture. The hands are covered with oil (preferably home-made), then stroked for 6 minutes, thoroughly rub your fingers and palms until a tolerable pain appears.
For compresses, you can use aloe juice. Knead a thick leaf, grease a sore spot and leave for several minutes, then wash your hands with warm water. It is very effective to use decoction of needles or cones as lotions. Pour 100 grams of pine needles with a glass of boiling water and let it brew. Apply a swab dipped in this broth for a while to a sick hand. Significantly facilitates the state of the rubbing procedure using ointments prepared according to special recipes.
Means for oral administration
Chestnut tincture, which is used for internal use, has a lot of positive reviews. The flowers of this plant should be insisted on vodka (one handful of flowers per 500 ml of vodka) for two weeks in a dark place, then strain and drink 30 drops 4 times a day.
A good effect, according to patients, with prolonged use (at least a year) gives an infusion of oats. Pour a glass of grains with a liter of water and leave for 10 hours. After this, boil, let stand, add water to the original volume and take 100 ml 3 times a day for 1.5 months. Then a month break, and the course is repeated.
When Dupuytren's contracture has an initial stage, treatment without surgery should be accompanied by a change in diet. You should exclude dairy products, flour products, sweets and increase the use of seafood, white cabbage, carrots, horseradish, radish and onions.
Ground Recipes
Numerous reviews of patients with contracture who used to treat grindings include recommendations for their preparation. In folk medicine, there are a fairly large number of tools that are easy to prepare at home.
- 250 ml of kerosene, the same amount of vegetable oil and 7-10 pods of hot pepper, passed through a meat grinder, mix and insist for 9 days. Then strain and rub the mixture with stroking movements in sore spots.
- 300 g of chopped chestnut fruit, insist on vodka (500 ml) for 2 weeks, then strain and lubricate the hands before bedtime.
- Pour 500 g of horsemeat finely chopped chestnut into a dark glass bottle, add water and leave for 14 days. Rub the resulting infusion into a sore spot before bedtime.
The effective effect of a healing ointment made from oil and beeswax was experienced by many patients who were treated with folk remedies with a diagnosis of Dupuytren's contracture. Their reviews indicate that this ointment perfectly removes inflammation and itching, softens the skin and smoothes scars in the area damaged by the disease.
To prepare, boil 250 g of butter and 100 g of beeswax, then add 100 g of pine resin (in powder form) and boil for another 10 minutes, add 30 g of celandine powder, boil for 5 minutes, pour 0.5 l of hypericum oil, bring to boil and filter. Put the resulting ointment into jars under the lids and use for rubbing.
Regardless of which ointment is used for rubbing, be sure to wrap a sore hand with a warm scarf or blanket after the procedure.
Disease prevention
Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. And Dupuytren's contracture is no exception. For the purpose of prevention, it is imperative to use a softening hand cream and mittens made of thick fabric when working with metal, since any appearance of cracks on the skin can contribute to the onset of the disease. If the work requires the hands to be held in a bent position for a long time, then a 5-minute warm-up should be carried out every hour, bending and unbending the fingers.
Therapy will be difficult if diagnosed with Dupuytren's contracture. Treatment without surgery usually only helps to suspend the disease, but even surgical intervention does not always relieve it. Therefore, much attention should be paid to prevention, especially for people who have a hereditary predisposition.
In no case should self-medicate. On the use of any folk remedies, you must always consult a doctor. He will determine the stage of the disease and give recommendations on how to treat Dupuytren's contracture at home.