Did Nitrox diving cure my back problems?

[DandyDon]

It's not so bad once the headache and nausea go away, but first I gotta get in the water.

Yeah, I forgot to mention the most important part of the hangover cure: prior to dive, rehydrate with at least 3 cups of strong coffee. (Seriously, though, I also will have been chugging water since waking). The more coffee, the warmer the pee; and the warmer the pee, the warmer the diver!

That's crazy. I'd rather be bent than take a ride in a Mexican chamber, but so be it. If I wanted to self-medicate with O2, I wouldn't tell the DM that it was for a suspected DCS hit, I'd tell him I wanted it for the hangover and offer him a tip. That way he'd let me dive again.

That's too bad. The best thing about morning dives is you can do them before you go to bed after a long night's partying.

I simply try to avoid too much nitrogen to compensate. That means nitrox and an ultraconservative Suunto. As for the thread you cite, dehydration was only a suspected cause. It doesn't make sense to me, since plenty of divers dive more dehydrated than that all the time and don't get DCS after a single unaggressive dive.

With your 500+ dives, I am not really qualified to argue, but I understand that hydration is something to work at the night before the dives and even earlier - which won't happen with alcoholic beverages. You may well know what you're doing with your body, and I am known to be a bit of a maverick myself - but for SB posting, it's suggested to hydrate well for at least 12 hours prior to diving, and save the parties until the diving is over. I have for 5 years, altho I was unclear on that the first year.

And I understand the Cozumel chamber now the only one operating is a well regarded one. If I was bent there, I guess I'd find out as I'd certainly be there with my DAN card - altho I'd consult DAN from there if able. I'd certainly not hit the boat O2 and then dive again - that day or the next at least.

But then your kicker. You dive a Suunto? That doesn't seem to fit your posts, but okaaaaay. I dive computers that use the same limits as the agencies.

 

[Mossman]

With your 500+ dives, I am not really qualified to argue, but I understand that hydration is something to work at the night before the dives and even earlier - which won't happen with alcoholic beverages. You may well know what you're doing with your body, and I am known to be a bit of a maverick myself - but for SB posting, it's suggested to hydrate well for at least 12 hours prior to diving, and save the parties until the diving is over. I have for 5 years, altho I was unclear on that the first year.

It's actually only 487, but will be well over 500 by the time I get back from Bonaire in a little over a month, so I picked the higher range in case I got too lazy to change it in the future. Still, they include some of the roughest, toughest recreational dives above 55 degrees on this planet. I've only had reason to call DAN after one of those dives and it wasn't related to dehydration. But I do hydrate all day and try my best to keep in the pale yellow range or better. It's not my fault those darn liveaboards offer all-you-can-drink booze, when a thrifty guy like me always tries to get his money's worth.

And I understand the Cozumel chamber now the only one operating is a well regarded one. If I was bent there, I guess I'd find out as I'd certainly be there with my DAN card - altho I'd consult DAN from there if able. I'd certainly not hit the boat O2 and then dive again - that day or the next at least.

Hopefully neither of us will ever find out. My last trip there was over Carnival and those huge plastic cups of beer they sell at the parade are very dehydrating, but fortunately we were already done diving for the trip and flying out the next day.

But then your kicker. You dive a Suunto? That doesn't seem to fit your posts, but okaaaaay. I dive computers that use the same limits as the agencies.

What limits are those? As far as I know, the agencies can't even agree on a definition of bottom time let alone common NDC limits. Besides, I use a computer because it's more sophisticated than tables. My Suunto is very sophisticated, using RGBM and incorporating deep stops, and it even tells time so I know if it's almost lunch.

It routinely sticks me with mandatory deco when set at 32% while I leave the SO's Cochran set on air and she's always well within her NDC according to that demonic device. On our second dive on the Spiegel Grove in May, I was stuck with 8 minutes at 10' with it set to 35%, and she couldn't figure out why I was doing such a long "safety stop" especially when there were 6 hungry looking barracudi right behind my head that I was trying to ignore, as her air-set Cochran said it was fine to surface immediately. So I guess it acts as my dehydration-recompensator.

 

[sipadiver]

Maybe the diving helped to relax your back muscles?

This might sound crazy but amazing sex helped to cure my tight lower back muscles. I was suffering from seriously tight (true story) lower back problems.

I met this cute hot girl - and we had amazing sex for a month. My back problems were cured afterwards. No more prodding or poking by chiros or physios.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I met this cute hot girl - and we had amazing sex for a month. My back problems were cured afterwards. No more prodding or poking by chiros or physios.

Congratulations on both counts. This is a pretty old thread, hopefully the OP still has a few miles on him and can put your advice to good use.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Jax]

It's unlikely that the Nitrox did anything, although it's completely possible that the diving did.

Nothing makes my back feel better than an hour of relaxed weightless stretching (diving).

Terry

Airsix

The Southern Arizona VA's neurology prescribes swimming for all patients with degenerative discs. IF they do it, it helps enormously.

It is the diving that resolved your pain.

The swimming / diving works by exercising ALL your core elements. Therefore, the stronger muscles keep your back aligned and not exacerbating the bad discs.


Edit: Ha! :lol: I got caught by an old thread! :laughing: