Does anyone know if Muscular Dystrophy, or more specifically Charcot Marie-Tooth type 1a is a total contradiction to diving or not?
Diving with Muscular Dystrophy?
- Thread starter kelemvor
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As you know, Charcot Marie-Tooth is progressive and ongoing. As such, the answer to your inquiry would seem to lie primarily in how far the nerve degeneration and associated muscle weakness and sensory loss characteristic of this disease have progressed.
An individual who is only showing mild clumsiness/awkwardness and spotty numbness of the lower legs or feet likely could be cleared for diving by a qualified neurologist. OTOH, a person with wide-spread and significant muscle cramping, pain, and weakness of the hands and feet very likely would not be safe to scuba under normal circumstances. Obviously there is a wide range of severity of disability across this spectrum, and the bottom line is that the diver must be able to safely and effectively enter and exit the water and function u/w.
You might wish to pose this issue to Handicapped Scuba Association International (HSA) ( http://www.hsascuba.com ).
For an inspirational story about diving with a neuromuscular disorder under exceptional conditions, you might enjoy reading about Matt Johnson ( DiveNewswire ), who happens to be a member of this board.
Regards,
DocVikingo
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