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To do or not to do – hand therapy

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  In February, I was referred by Dr. Fricke for hand therapy. I went twice to Momentum Physical Therapy in San Antonio. Therapists Alex and Joey were so nice, caring and professional. During my initial evaluation, they took measurements of my left hand and gave me some basic hand exercises to do on my own (see below – the last one is more for carpal tunnel issues). Last week, Joey gave me a paraffin wax bath, which was WONDERFUL. In the following photos, my hand is relaxing in a towel. Then he gently massaged my hand (above), which also felt nice. But I was so nervous about waking up Dup after radiation and making him mad. After the massage, Joey had me do some exercises using some putty and baoding balls . (Hey, I never knew how those chiming balls were used–now I do!)   Last Friday, I messaged my doctor and expressed my concern. His reply: "At this point, I think it's perfectly fine to forego the hand therapy for now. We can discuss this further at our followup ...
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On the look out

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  People like me with Dupuytren's know how frustrating this disease can be. On so many levels! Right now, I'm on the look out for a hand specialist or orthopedic hand surgeon who is on board with radiation as a treatment option for early stages of Dupuytren's. So far, I've seen two orthopedic hand surgeons, and neither seemed to endorse radiation.    I've already had low-beam electron radiation treatments on my left hand. But I need someone to help me decide when the time's right for my right hand, which I hope and pray is some time far off. That specialist could also monitor my left hand.    In the meantime, I've watched numerous online interviews with Dr. Richard Shaffer, a consultant clinical oncologist and UK expert in the use of radiotherapy for treating Dupuytren's and other benign diseases. I plan to make some baseline measurements of my right hand that he recommends in " When is it too early for radiotherapy for Dupuytren's disease? ...
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