Wrist ache at 60' and deeper

[ajtoady]

I have noticed a bit of an ache in my left wrist the last few times during the dive. It will start about 60' down or so and slowly abate as I continue the dive. I can not say for sure that as I get deeper, maybe 100-120' , that it worsens. Is this a sign of any problem or possibly an indication of carpal tunnel? Or better yet the old age BS? I am an electrical tech and installer so, I have always used and abused my hands and wrists, such as it is. Any thoughts?? After the dive there is no residual discomfort.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

AJ, there are some anecdotal reports about compression arthralgia in shallow pressure exposures. I know one nurse who had to leave a position in a hyperbaric unit because of it. How long does it take for the pain to go away after your dive?

Best regards,
DDM

 

[ajtoady]

Hard to say. Maybe an hour or two till normal, such as it is! I will however start to track it and repost.

 

[lermontov]

Hard to say. Maybe an hour or two till normal, such as it is! I will however start to track it and repost.

not a dry suit seal?

 

[ajtoady]

No drysuit seal, I dive 3mm wetsuits this time of year.

 

[EricTheDood]

I didn't see your post because I originally posted my thread in a different (wrong) forum.

In a nutshell, my wife has the exact same problem as you, albeit on her right wrist.

 

[RyanT]

Yes, these pains can be a bit concerning, but if you notice them at depth, then they are less likely to be an issue with DCS (which of course is always the scary part). On a recent dive with a very moderate profile, I experienced a distinct left shoulder pain upon surfacing, followed by a tingling in the fingers on that the arm. I would have been seriously concerned about these symptoms, except that, 1) the profile was really moderate (65' on nitrox and no decompression) and 2) I did some valve drills underwater and felt my left shoulder "tweak" in the process. On the way up, I had to turn my stage bottle valve off and I felt my left wrist "give out" while doing this. I switched to my right hand to finish turning the valve off. After surfacing, it took about 2 hours for al the symptoms to subside. I do have some mild carpal tunnel, so I strongly suspect that over exertion on the dive was the problem.