Possible to get bent in only one joint?

[cwhitpan]

Curious if this is even possible, or if I am just being silly.

Dove today, did a 40min / 40' dive.
First one of the season dry, and I have lost weight from my last dive last year, so I did a weight check.
The ascent was gradual from the 40' to about 15 (platform) porbably took 1-2 min. Anyhow, long story, I popped, so I submerged to 10' for 2 min.

I get home and shower up, notice some purple "lines" that look like bruising on my shoulder, and it is sore. But it is only one shoulder. Someone mentioned once that rash-like skin color could be a sign of DCS, so I am curious.

If it persists, obviously I will seek medical attention or call DAN.

Thoughts?

 

[ianr33]

Not a doctor but:

Yes,totally possible to get bent in one joint,but getting bent after 40 feet for 40 minutes is essentially impossible.

I sometimes get bruises on my shoulder from the strap on my BP/Wing

 

[bleeb]

First one of the season dry, and I have lost weight from my last dive last year, so I did a weight check.
The ascent was gradual from the 40' to about 15 (platform) porbably took 1-2 min. Anyhow, long story, I popped, so I submerged to 10' for 2 min.

I get home and shower up, notice some purple "lines" that look like bruising on my shoulder, and it is sore.

If you're using a drysuit, what are the chances that it's just suit squeeze, although soreness seems slightly unusual? Is it a neoprene drysuit, or are you wearing underwear? How well inflated did you keep it?

 

[cwhitpan]

If you're using a drysuit, what are the chances that it's just suit squeeze, although soreness seems slightly unusual? Is it a neoprene drysuit, or are you wearing underwear? How well inflated did you keep it?

That is my initial thought and feeling. The soreness could just be related to carrying gear for that matter.

It is a DUI Trilam, and I was wearing the full fleece. I didn't have a large bubble and actually felt I could have used a few more pounds to get a bigger bubble, so suit squeeze is my first thought. I would keep about 6 quick puffs to hold depth at 40/50'

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi cwhitpan,

Dove today, did a 40min / 40' dive. First one of the season dry, .....

It would be very unlikely that such a dive profile would build up a sufficient inert gas loading to precipitate DCS.

The ascent was gradual from the 40' to about 15 (platform) porbably took 1-2 min. Anyhow, long story, I popped, so I submerged to 10' for 2 min.

There is no compelling reason to expect the "pop" would have been contributory given the overall profile as described.

I get home and shower up, notice some purple "lines" that look like bruising on my shoulder, and it is sore. But it is only one shoulder. Someone mentioned once that rash-like skin color could be a sign of DCS, so I am curious.

Indeed it is possible to sustain DCS in only a single joint or on a single, limited area of skin. However, the "rash-like skin color" that can develop with DCS, known as cutis marmorata, rarely is asociated with much soreness, but frequently with much itchiness.

Regards,

DocVikingo

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual and should not be construed as such. Consult with your physician before diving.








I get home and shower up, notice some purple "lines" that look like bruising on my shoulder, and it is sore. But it is only one shoulder. Someone mentioned once that rash-like skin color could be a sign of DCS, so I am curious.

 

[smellzlikefish]

A person diving to 40 foot dive for 40 minutes isn't going to acquire enough nitrogen to get DCS, but it would be possible to pop an alveolus or two. I may be wrong, but I think skin rashes are usually associated with lung overexpansion injuries versus the bends.

Either way, you are probably fine since the bruising combined with pain is more consistent with an injury than either lung overexpansion or DCS.

 

[cwhitpan]

Thanks everyone for the responses. It was just an odd series of events.

It is interesting to know that you can get bent in one joint, and that is something to be aware of!
Turned out it was a pinch. I put the dry suit on, and noticed when I would reach across to the dup valve on the left arm, it pinched the shoulder on my right.

 

[Belmont]

I had a sore red patch on my calf the morning after a week end of diving, four dives at 60 feet each for at least 75 minutes. Proper deco and so on.

I called DAN and went to a medical facility that operates a chamber.

It turned out it was a deep tissue infection caught while I walked barefoot on the beach. I was diving with a wet suit.

Any out of the ordinary event happening after a dive is worth investigating like you did.

 

[DocVikingo]

I may be wrong, but I think skin rashes are usually associated with lung overexpansion injuries versus the bends.

Hi smellzlikefish,

Cutaneous DCS (aka "skin bends") manifests as a marbling/mottling of the skin (cutis marmorata) and most typically is related to decompression sickness, not lung over expansion injury. Pulmonary barotrauma may cause subcutaneous emphysema or pockets of air under the skin in the neck area, but this quite different.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Akimbo]

Perhaps a more precise way of asking it would be: Is it possible to exhibit symptoms of Decompression Sickness (DCS) in one joint?

In my experience treating other divers the answer is absolutely yes. Most often, hyperbaric physicians postulate that it is likely from a previous joint trauma — either from a physical injury or a previous detected or undetected DCS incident. The theory being that circulation was compromised by previous injuries.

One of the best diving supervisors, and retired Navy Master Diver, I ever knew would get hit and ride Table 4 almost every time he got wet. It was always the same knee.

An especially large commercial diver had a habit of sitting on one folded knee in the chamber during Sur-D-O2 runs (Surface Decompression using Oxygen). The supervisor would tell him repeatedly to straighten his legs but he kept on. Sure enough, he began to frequently take a hit in his knee even after changing his practice. He is not diving anymore.

For those not familiar with commercial diving practices, it is common procedure to have one or two decompression chambers on the job for divers to complete their decompression on deck. This allows breathing oxygen much deeper and longer than would be prudent in the water. You can also cycle divers faster. You are allowed five minutes from the time they leave their last water stop until they are stripped down to a bathing suit (or less) and back at their max depth in the chamber. The diver is warm, far more relaxed, is under full observation of the chamber operator, has far better communications, and can immediately be taken off oxygen in the super rare event of oxygen toxicity.