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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffTo make a diagnosis, your doctor will likely conduct the following tests:
- Physical exam. Your doctor will both look at and feel your hands to identify the characteristic nodules or cords in your palms or fingers. You'll also be asked questions about your signs and symptoms. Your doctor will want to know whether you're having difficulty using your hands; for instance, are you able to extend your fingers to put on gloves or to shake someone's hand.
- Tabletop test. In this simple test, you place your hand palm-side down on a table. If you can get your hand flat, you don't have a contracture. If you can't get your hand flat against the table, then you do have a contracture.
Your doctor usually doesn't need further tests to make a diagnosis. However, he or she may order other tests to rule out associated conditions, such as diabetes.
