Wierd Hand Condition

[JensHolsten]

Hey guys...anyone ever had a pea-like, very hard lump in their hand (mine is in my palm, under the ring finger)...I noticed it about a month ago and while it doesn't stop me from climbing, it does seem to swell and be generally unhappy after any vertical activity...just showed up out of nowhere...trigger finger??

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Welcome to the weird hand pain club Jens. I had a slightly different problem (that lasted 2 days and then went away entirely but will return eventually). Sounds like you may have a ganglion cyst or something similar. Some more info in this thread: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1054902/Pain_near_base_of_thumb_wrist#Post1054902

 

Good luck!

[orion_sonya]

Dupuytrens is common with climbers and there is some evidence that climbing causes or exacerbates the condition. A classic symptom is a node at the base of the ring or pinky finger.

 

If you google dupuytren and climbing you will get a bunch of hits.

[mountainmatt]

Bummer Jens!

 

That is exactly where I had a ganglion cyst about 10 years ago. It started out slowly (small like a pea), caused no pain, no reduction in movement. Overtime the cyst became the size of a grape and was restricting my finger motion. I had surgery to have it removed. I was back climbing about 2 weeks later and it doesn't bother me at all now. Not sure that is what you are experiencing, but its a possibility. Good luck!

[boadman]

I have a friend that has Dupuytren's contracture. I've got a lump inbetween my ring and pinky fingers that also showed up a month or two ago and doesn't really hurt when I'm climbing, but seems to swell a bit from climbing. Mine feels like it's on the tendon sheath for the pinky tendon. It's kind of wierd.

[orion_sonya]

I have something similar to you M. It had gotten very painful after mountain biking at whistler so I saw a orthopedic surgeon. He instantly recognized it as early/mild dupuytren's contracture. What I had thought was my pinky tendon turned out to be part of the syndrome. I don't think you are supposed to be able to feel your tendon or sheath through your hand.

 

In more severe cases that false 'tendon sheath' can grow and bridge to the fingers causing the contracture.

Edited February 16, 2012 by orion_sonya

[chubler]

A quick physician's office visit would determine it. Without seeing a photo, sounds like a ganglion cyst or "bible bump". Bible bump, being old schoolers used to used to smash it with a book as thick as a bible. Not recommended. I had one on my wrist which was punctured and drained by a physician - it came back - finally went away with "pop" while doing handstands on the beach. A little ibuprofen/beer on the spot and it has never come back (5-6 years ago).

[boadman]

I've got two other friends who have dupuytren's contracture. If it turns out that I've got it, then all of us have red facial hair. My 4 data points say that red-bearded male climbers have a 100% chance of contracting this condition.

 

 

[orion_sonya]

well that is interesting that you say that because it is documented that people with "nordic" descent have an increased risk of getting it.

 

edit to add link

 

Nordic Link

Edited February 16, 2012 by orion_sonya

[ryanb]

I've got a redish beard and a weird but not painful bump on my palm between pinky and ring fingers that I've been assuming is dupuytren's. I've found irregular and poorly executed yoga with a lot of hands flat on the floor/forearm stretching poses helps with range of motion.

[boadman]

Ha! That's funny.

[Kimmo]

can you manipulate the pea? does it have a distinct individuated border? does it hurt if you press really hard?

 

if yes, i would guess ganglion cyst.

 

i first got one on the base of my left middle finger 10 years ago. it was kinda neat cuz i could press really really hard on it and feel the fluid squeeze out. within days it would fill again, offering repeat enjoyment.

 

10 years later it still comes back, along with another one at the same spot on left index finger, but neither affect my climbing.

 

if it bothers you much, i'd definitely check with a doc to eliminate the possibility of something more serious (and non-reversible if ignored).

[JosephH]

I'm going with ganglion cyst as well, very common on hands and foot arches of barefoot water skiers...

[Rad]

I was diagnosed with mild early DC a few years ago. Supposed to be hereditary but one wonders if climbing has an impact. Doesn't hurt or interfere with climbing or other activities. Yet.

[boadman]

What color is your beard?

[orion_sonya]

you aren't alone thinking it is climbing related.

 

linky

[Drederek]

 

 

just picked this off the bottom of the page.

 

 

Dupuytren's Contracture? First Needle Aponeurotomy in USA Still the Most Experienced. www.HandCenter.org

 

 

 

Fibromyalgia Symptoms Fibromyalgia Symptoms Described. You'll Be Shocked What They Are. TreatYourIllness.com

 

 

 

 

1 Trick to Relieve Joints See How You Can Relieve Your Joints With This Fast and Easy Trick! www.Instaflex.com

 

 

I have had dc for 20 years never had a problem, it was mildly irritating when it first showed up. My mom,sister and daughter have it too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Off_White]

Ganglion cysts? check

Dupuytren's? check

Red beard? check

Scandinavian heritage? check

 

No issues though I did creep my daughter out by naming my ganglion cyst "Ripley".

[JensHolsten]

Thanks so much guys for the info. I really, really appreciate it. You've given me some good direction and the hope that this won't be an issue if I take care of it correctly!

[Ed_Hobbick]

My dad had that in two different fingers during two different time frames. He had surgery on each of the fingers. A different doctor did the surgery each time. One of the fingers works now and the other one doesn't.

[boadman]

My dad is in town visiting, and I mentioned I thought I might have Dupuytren's Contracture developing. After describing the symptoms, he showed me his hands. He's worked as a carpenter all his life, and has divots on his palm that look exactly like the Dupuytren's pictures on the web.

 

Must have been some randy scandanavians in our background.

[andyf]

Just stumbled on this thread while looking for something else (Anyone had surgery for a partial ACL tear? How soon after surgery can I climb 5.11? Boulder?)

 

Anyway, I've been climbing since 1985 and started noticing lumps in my palms about 8 years ago (around the time I turned 40). A couple years later I was diagnosed with DC. Last fall I really started feeling tightness in my palms (I have chords and pitting) and I felt like it was starting to affect my climbing, doing yoga, etc. So, I went to an orthopedist at Group Health here in Tacoma who does both the NA procedure and collagenase injections. He said I didn't have enough contracture to consider either procedure at this point, but he recommended cortisone injections in the nodules. He has DC himself and said he'd been shooting up his lumps with cortisone for years. He thinks it has retarded progression of the disease.

 

I'd always stayed away from cortisone before, but I went ahead with it. I have to say that I've hardly felt any tightness since and the nodes even seem to have shrunk some. I've rarely been aware the condition over the past few months.

 

BTW, I don't have red hair. But my daughter does, and I do (did?) have a few red whiskers in my beard! Damn Vikings...

[CaleHoopes]

So, those sound like neuromas - basically very frustrated nerves that grow up a bit into a little benign tumor that can sometimes be painful. Runners often get them in feet and cortisone shots can help - surgery is the biggest repair but there is permanent damage usually when a neuroma is removed .

[Off_White]

I've found irregular and poorly executed yoga with a lot of hands flat on the floor/forearm stretching poses helps with range of motion.

 

Doing a little reading today, I find that they currently think stretching the affected DC area actually accelerates the contracture and does nothing to help. Bummer.

 

link

[andyf]

Interesting link, especially the correlation between DC and frozen shoulder. I've had both shoulders operated on in the past 3 years and had some degree of frozen shoulder after both surgeries.

 

I also noticed glucosamine and hand vibration mentioned as possible exacerbating factors. I took glucosamine for a number of years and I've put in a lot of hours scraping rocks with a trowel/scrubbing rocks with a wire brush/drilling rocks with a Bosch and hammering in bits of metal, none of which are kind to the hands.