Practical aids and tips for coping with Dupuytren’s
Disease or Ledderhose Disease
Dupuytren’s
If you are diagnosed with Dupuytren’s, the first question in your mind is “why me”? This video help you deal with that question. Why me
Removing rings when they get too tight
Essentially, you wrap the elastic band tightly around the finger, moving toward the ring as you go. Once you get to the ring, try to feed the band through the ring. Once you do, you should be able to start unwrapping the elastic and it’ll bring the ring with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ7Se8MeT0E
For very painful or itchy nodules try anti inflammatory applications (such as Ibuleve ®Movelat® and many others); and for really bad sharp pain you could try something with a local anaesthetic in, such as used for children before an injection to numb the skin, before a tattoo being done, or for ‘feminine itching’ or hemerrhoids (Emla®, Lanacare®, Lidocaine® and many others.
Painful palms or hands especially in the cold
Gloves, (fingerless or half finger) plain or with padding on the palm to reduce pain when gripping things(such as cycling gloves, weightlifting gloves, golfers gloves). Gloves with copper for arthritis or gloves with heat pads in. Look especially for the ones where you can take the splint or heated part out and that can be washed.
And for those of us who have problems putting on gloves when they have contracted fingers look into zipped gloves.
Three D printing can be used for produced aids tailored to the individual patients.
Kitchen tools and cutlery with easy grip (or: Good Grip) handles made for arthritis sufferers
For people with a weaker grip silicone grip devices may be useful.
And ‘finger guards’ (just type in on a shopping side) can be very good if not all fingers are as straight or as flexible as they used to be.
Electrical scissors could make life a bit easier, they are available on several websites.
For those with one bad hand and one good hand, a one handed kitchen system may be a good answer.
And AgeUk mentions a lot of useful products, like a ‘Knork‘ which is knife and fork in one, for those who have one hand that functions ok still (also available from other websites).
Check out Peta UK, a website that has a lot of handtools adjusted for people with grip problems. Some examples: Card holder, nailcare, scissors. They even do gardening tools!
Cup or can holders to fit your bend finger around a thin handle rather than a wide cup, can or mug
Pens with easy grip and non slip area, or grips you can put on the pens
For those who have round doorknobs in their house and have problems turning them, consider changing to lever style door handles.
Pipe insulation around bag handles, push chair handles etc, available in various thicknesses.
For steering wheel grip use steering wheel covers
Arthritis aids for bottles, beverage grip openers.
Phone grips for mobile phones.
Exercisers for hand and finger strength
Dictating program on the computer to save typing everything you want to put on paper., such as Dragon Dictate or others.
Night splint to prevent finger contraction at night, for one finger or more, up to the whole hand. A popular type of dorsal splint (stiff on the upper side of the hand) is FIXX Glove, or the Benik -700 series which leave the palm free, and generic or custom made splints are very useful as well. Custom made splints tend to be stiff on the palm side (volar splints).
Or you can use an air splint, softer in case you tend to scratch your face with your bad hand, but may not offer support for completely straightening?
One-Handed Living if you are having surgery or Collagenase injections:
Do not forget that you will not be able to use the hand that has been operated on fully for a short while after surgery. Make life easy for yourself at home by planning ahead, particularly if you are alone at home or if you will be alone at home for long periods in the day. Get enough shopping in to last for a week or two after your surgery, as you will not be able to drive. Loosen the tight caps of jars (but don’t forget the contents will go off more quickly). Ready-meals might be useful for a few days after surgery or do some cooking before and freeze it. Wear slip-on shoes so you don’t have to tie laces etc.
Ledderhose
When the bottom of your feet hurts: have a small can or bottle of pop or water in the fridge or freezer, (tip: wear a sock to prevent freezer burn) roll your foot up and down over the can to cool the fascia and relieve the pain
Shoes (no heels!) with padded insoles, available from many different manufacturers, either insoles already fitted in or buy them separately.
Insoles with a cut-out area to support the tissue around the lump and take the pressure off the lump can be really helpful.
Heated insoles can help for those whose feet have become cold sensitive
Socks and splints to wear at night stretching the plantar fascia (usually found under ‘Ledderhose’ or under ‘plantar fasciitis’ when searching internet shopping sites, in the health and personal care section)
Especially for after surgery or when the foot really needs to rest and you can’t stand still, consider the ‘iWalk handsfree crutch‘
Or look into using a ‘knee scooter‘, which is less cumbersome than a wheelchair but still allows resting the foot and getting about. They come in several different designs,and can help greatly with everyday tasks.
Most products are available through internet shopping sites, by typing the descriptive name used in the text.
Maybe in the future, through 3-D printing, aids can be made especially designed for the patients hand or foot and what they need them for?