dupuytren contracture

[aniccia]

Hi

A 50 year old male presented with the following

Dupuytren's contracture, a common disorder of the fingers causing patients to lose the ability to extend their fingers. The disorder may occur suddenly, but more commonly, progresses slowly over a period of years. The disease usually doesn't cause symptoms until after the age of forty.

Lying just under the palm is the palmar fascia, a thin sheet of connective tissue shaped somewhat like a triangle. This fascia covers the tendons of the palm of the hand holding them in place. It also prevents the fingers from bending too far backward when pressure is placed against them. The fascia separates into thin bands of tissue at the fingers.

Has anyone maybe worked with this condition successfully treating with hom?
Any suggestion would be appreciated

A

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[ehc]

Hello A

I am treating someone at the moment with this as one of the symptoms

I often find that Lycopodium is needed somewhere along the line [contraction
finger, contraction palm - Synthesis] - and liver drainage remedies. Often
these persons have been consistent alcohol partakers over a period of years

hope this is helpful

Beverly
www.eternalhealthconcepts.com

[Joy Lucas]

Perhaps best to put the name of the condition to one side (although
always essential to know as much as possible about said disease) and
follow the case through with the usual location, sensation, extension,
comcommitants and all modalities. I have treated a few cases, all
different rx although causticum and mag phos always spring to mind
first, plenty of others I am sure. Best wishes, Joy

http://www.homeopathicmateriamedica.com
http://www.homeopathicmateriamedica.blogspot.com
http://homepage.mac.com/joylucas/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/provings
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[AH]

Dupuytren/dupytren: ars.15, benz-ac., calc-f., caust.117, form-ac.,
3Gels.223, gink.188, graph.117, guai., hep.28, hippoz., hydr-ac.3020,
hyosin., 3Lappa223, lepro.197, lyc., morg-g.156, nat-m.155, nat-p.187,
phenyt., plb.209, plb-m.209, plb-p.209, psil., ruta, sil., sulph.,
thiosin.102, tub-r.149, visc.223

Dorothy Shepherd - most of this is about 2 cases of Dupuytrens
SURGICAL CASES CURED BY MEDICINE
The first duty of a physician is to heal the person who asks for help
and according to the centuries old oath of Hippocrates he swears not to cut
anybody, but to give way to those who are practitioners in this work. Alas,
the number of surgeons have increased and the art of the physician has
accordingly been forgotten. And yet a physician can cure and should cure
people without having resource to the lancet and the knife. Years ago people
were under the impression that homoeopaths never cut people or in more
elegant language operated on people.
I must confess to my grief and sorrow, that this is not the case any
longer, and many operations are done in Homoeopathic Hospitals for
conditions which used to be treated and cured by medicines only.
Haemorrhoids, rectal fistulas among others, used to be treated by the
indicated remedy and disappeared. You find many examples of this in the old
homoeopathic books. And yet when I was a house surgeon, the operations for
piles were as common in homoeopathic hospitals as in the orthodox ones. This
was a great disappointment to me at the time. But I must say I do remember a
case here and there which was saved from the surgeon's knife. One of these
cases, I recall, was a case of trigeminal neuralgia, a neuralgia of the
fifth cerebral nerve, which supplies the face, and causes a most violent
pain along the course of the different branches, of this nerve if it becomes
diseased. A devastating pain which nothing can and will relieve ever. This
particular woman had treatment for at least two years at several of the
general and nerve hospitals. They had given her pain killing drugs; she had
rubbed in various liniments, Menthol and Camphor, etc. on her face, she had
injections of alcohol into the nerve. Nothing had helped. The only remedy
that was open to her, according to a famous surgeon, as the last desperate
chance between life and death, was to open up the skull and dig out the
large nerve ganglion of the fifth nerve - - the Gasserian ganglion. A very
dangerous and a very lengthy operation. She shrank from the ordeal, and
having heard of homoeopathy, she came to see whether she could be saved from
this serious operation and also be cured of her agonizing facial neuralgia.
She was a very patient woman, grumbled but little. She used to sit up day
and night, rocking herself to and fro, supporting her face, gently groaning
now and then with the agony of the pain. She was given some of the more
usual homoeopathic nerve medicines, such as Mag. phos. and Spigelia in low
potencies without the slightest effect. I think quite a dozen remedies were
tried out on her, and yet there she was always in her corner, moaning and
rocking, oh so gently, and yet the pitifulness thereof!- - A keen young
house physician just fresh from the teaching of Professor Kent was given the
chance, before passing on the case to the surgeon, to work out the remedy.
Quite an hour was spent in eliciting the symptoms, another hour looking
up the remedy. It worked out to Sulphur and without consulting the visiting
physician who had given permission to the tyro in homoeopathy, a dose of
Sulphur 10m was given in the morning. On the customary round with the night
sister, this ward was visited, and to the astonishment of the young doctor,
no Mrs. S. was seen sitting up in the corner. `Had she been moved? Had she
died suddenly? Had her heart given out from the constant pain?' The young
medico's face blanched with anxiety and she tip - toed to the bed. But no,
there was the patient, peacefully sleeping the sleep of the just. The next
morning this patient was the first visit the house physician paid, to be
told that the patient had slept all night, the first time for months and
months and there had been no returns of the pain up to that time, the
grateful woman said. The patient was jubilant, the relief was so sudden and
so unexpected. She stayed in the hospital for another week or so to make
sure that the cure held good. But there was no recurrence and the patient
kept in touch with the hospital for several months, until she was lost sight
of. As you may have guessed, I was the tyro, and it was my first case on
whom I tried out my newly gained knowledge. Yes, homoeopathy does sometimes
cure like that, instantaneously, miraculously, if the patient gives the
right symptoms and the right remedy is found. Many times, however, the cure
is much slower and the patient may lose faith and almost lose hope,
specially if kind friends and relatives urge him or her to try surgery and
praise the wonderful things surgery can do. It needs constant encouragement
on the part of the physician for patients not to give up the treatment. I
remember such a case in a woman in the early forties who was suffering from
a neuritis of the median nerve, which affected the right hand. She was first
seen at the end of December, 1935. The history was that she had been moving
heavy furniture some 10 weeks previously and somehow injured her wrist. The
wrist began to swell, there was constant pain in the right arm, which woke
her up at night. She had to keep the arm out at night angles to the body on
an air pillow to get any relief. The wrist felt as if it was going to burst,
and there was numbness of the fingers and stiffness.
I found that the median nerve was caught up in adhesions at the wrist, and
this was the cause of the pain and numbness. Her doctor had advised a
surgeon, and this surgeon at the hospital talked of dividing this nerve
higher up nearer the shoulder. Nothing else would do, she was assured. I
told her that it was extremely doubtful whether it would work. The other
nerves would take six months or more before they would replace the divided
nerve, and as she had to earn her living, what would she do in the interval?
She agreed to try out what medicines could do. Ledum 30 in repeated doses
was given for her local symptoms. Seen again on January 26th, 1936. Had been
away for 2 weeks rest at the sea, as she thought she was run down. Still
complains of numbness of right middle fingers; there is thickening of sheath
across the wrist in front, which presses on the median nerve. She had been
to another surgeon at the instigation of a friend who was sure that surgery
was the `only thing'. The opinion of this second surgeon was to leave well
alone and continue with medical treatment. Wise man!
Further Ledum 30 was given every night to help the nightly pains.
February 4th, 1936, numbness of fingers still the same, worse heat, worse
beginning to move, worse in bed, right wrist less swollen, ultra - violet
ray treatment given which made it worse, Rhus tox. 30 three times a day. She
was then put on further ultra - violent ray and infra - red light treatment,
which she had twice weekly for several months, with a moderate amount of
relief.
June 6th, 1936, still numbness of her hand and fingers, especially
middle finger, contraction of tendons of right hand on waking up in the
mornings and after holding hand still as when travelling in vehicles, pain
in right hand when holding anything. The contraction of the fingers appeared
like a closing up of the fingers on the palm of the hand, similar to an
early Dupuytren's Contraction. The tendons of the fingers were tense and
tight and barely opened at all, except with a great effort. The palmar
fascia - - the sheath binding the muscles and tendons together in the palm
of the hand - - was tense and the tendons were standing out like whipcords.
The annular ligament of the wrist was thickened and swollen. The neuritis
was not quite so painful. It certainly looked as if the case was going from
bad to worse. The light treatment was not doing much good either, except
perhaps psychologically.
It was noticed that the patient was loquacious, voluble to a degree,
that she felt the heat very much, and that her pains and numbness and
tenseness of the fingers were always worse during the night or early morning
and improved as the day went on. The three - legged stool again, on which to
base a prescription. These symptoms meant Lachesis, and Lachesis 30 was
given.
July 7th, 1936, she rang up, said she was very much better the first
time in six months that she acknowledged feeling better, her fingers and
hand were straighter in the mornings. Continue Lachesis 30.
September 18th, 1936, much better until last week. Lachesis 30.
November 13th, 1936, stiffness of arm and hand worse during night,
worse in bed, pain after sleep, pains go up the arms, cutting pains with
numbness, pain after sleep. The local symptoms were covered by Lachesis and
Rhus tox.; but the general constitutional symptoms were more Lachesis than
Rhus tox., such general symptoms as being loquacious and voluble, feeling
the heat, worse during the night, hot flushes, flushed face, etc.; so once
more she was given Lachesis 30.
December 5th, 1936, general improvement, but the local condition still
troublesome, Lachesis 50m.
February 15th, 1937, numbness of third finger on waking, worse morning,
pain better on motion, worse lying down, worse on beginning to move. The
same condition was beginning to affect the left hand and left fingers as
well. Conditions going from right to left and the other symptoms mentioned
just now meant Lycopodium, which is the complement to Lachesis, Lycopodium
30 now given. The tendency to contraction of the fingers had disappeared,
the swelling of the wrist had gone long ago. The thickening of the palmar
fascia had also disappeared.
April 1st, 1937, just slight stiffness of the fingers and hands now
after sitting still for a long time, such as after taking a long bus ride,
improved by moving the fingers.
Rhus tox. 30 three times a day, prescribed - - everything else had
cleared up.
This finished the case. She has been seen once again for a totally
different condition, a prepatellar bursitis, which cleared up quickly after
Ruta 30 t. d. s. It took about fifteen months to cure this case of median
nerve neuritis, followed by Dupuytren's Contraction of the palmar fascia.
But the neuritis began to clear up and improve as soon as the general
constitutional symptoms were made clear. It is difficult for the ordinary
patient untrained in homoeopathic methods, to forget about the local pains
and give correct symptoms of the real ego. Once the peculiar symptoms of
each individual are made out, and the right constitutional medicine is
given, the local condition will disappear with the improvement of the
patient.
This woman was saved from a serious operation, the results of which
were extremely problematical, and might have led to complete paralysis of
the median nerve for months and perhaps forever. She has a perfectly useful
hand, and shows no signs of neuritis or thickening or swelling of the
various ligaments and tendons of the hand and fingers.
Lachesis in repeated doses was necessary, followed by its complement
Lycopodium, to achieve this result.
This patient, I know, is extremely grateful now to have been spared
this operation. She was able to follow her occupation the whole of the time
she was having her treatment, which certainly would not have been possible
if she had had an operation. It would have meant months of unemployment and
much treatment, massage, electrical and ultra - violet ray treatment. It was
very difficult at times to go against the advice of various interfering
friends who were anxious to urge her to have the operation. One of these
indeed was willing to pay for the operation! - - but did not offer to pay
for her medical treatment. Conservative treatment surely is better than the
knife, and worth making an effort for.
This reminds me of another case of Dupuytren's Contraction I saw and
treated some six years or more ago and saved from a crippling operation.
Dupuytren's Contraction of the palm of the hand is rare in women, but this
woman who was in the late forties, when I saw her, had helped her husband in
his business which was flag making and rope making, and it meant letting the
coil of the rope go through her left hand with the fingers slightly flexed
on the palm, forming a tunnel. In order to keep her husband's business going
while he was at the front from 1914 - 18, she did practically all the work
and strained her fingers. The contraction of the fingers developed soon
after and by the time I saw her, the little finger and ring finger of the
left hand were bent over completely and could not be straightened at all.
The middle finger was stiff and was beginning to be pulled over on to the
palm, and the index finger was tending to follow suit. She had shown her
hand to various doctors, and had desultory treatment off and on without it
making any appreciable difference. She showed it to me more as a curiosity
without expecting any help. She was a big, fat, blousy woman, with highly
coloured cheeks skin coarse and thick, inclined to be untidy and dirty and
casual, felt the heat very much, had headaches on top of the head, sinking
feelings of the abdomen about eleven o'clock in the morning. All Sulphur
symptoms, so I gave her Sulphur 6 three times a day for a considerable
period, on and off for nine months, with this result, unexpected by her - -
namely the fingers straightened completely, the tight fascia of the palm
loosened and became normal and there was free movement of all the fingers.
She was duly impressed, and offered to go up to any Medical Society to show
herself as a case of complete recovery from Dupuytren's Contraction, after
she had been suffering from it for twelve years. Unfortunately the poor lady
was too fond of her glass, she loved her drop of whisky, and was such a
tippler that she developed diabetes and became totally blind from recurrent
haemorrhages in the eye, so she had to be sent to a home for the blind. When
I last heard of her, I was told that her hand was still quite normal and the
contraction of the fingers had not recurred.
Poor thing, I could not persuade her to give up the drink; many times
she was fond maudlin by her neighbours. I could save her from an operation,
but not from the consequences of too much whisky. The patient must cooperate
with the physician and be strong minded enough not to give way to weakness.
There is no specific medicine for Dupuytren's Contraction as such, but
Dupuytren's Contraction of the twelve years' duration in a Sulphur patient
was cured without operation by doses of Sulphur in a few months, and early
Dupuytren's Contraction, associated with neuritis of the median nerve, was
cured completely by Lachesis, because the patient herself showed Lachesis
symptoms. The next Dupuytren's Contraction I may see, may require a
completely different medicine. In the same way the neuritis of the
trigeminal nerve was not cured by a nerve medicine, but by the medicine
required by the general characteristics of the patient in question.

[aniccia]

Hello Beverly, Jennifer, Joy, AH

Thank you for your suggestions, they were helpful and interesting

Kindly
A