numb fingers, not from cold

[rmediver2002]

I remember getting awful cramping in my hands and having trouble straightening out my fingers after some larger hulls.

We were doing a research vessel hull for the Navy and could only use sponges on it (some sort of teflon bottom coat) but it took some hard scrubbing.

Green scrubbies on normal bottom coats, and paint scrapers on heavy growth...

In all cases your forearms would be aching afterword, I never thought about carpal tunnel though.

Jeff Lane

I had a weird thing happen this weekend that was not diving related but, I got stung by something on my wrist and it swelled up a bit (not to bad) but it put pressure right in that area of my wrist and it hurt like a real bad muscle sprain moving the wrist or flexing the hand. Gone by the next morning. I wonder if this was putting pressure on the same area?

 

[caboLH]

Hey Jeff,

Glad you can relate to my pain...yes diving those hulls sometimes I get cramps in my wrists and forearms, for me its those darn zincs that tighten my hands and wrists up. I actually quit my job in the corporate world to do this a few years ago. I really sucked at going to the gym so I wanted something where I would get a lot of exercise everyday. I found it!! That is part of the reason I am so baffled by this numb hand thing, many people have said I need to 'strengthen' my hands to get over this numbness. Geez, my arms and legs already look like the 'bionic' woman.

Today I had to pull props off of this huge 90' trawler for which I am sure to feel it in the morning. Don't you love picking up something underwater that weighs as much as you do and then kicking like there is no tomorrow to surface it?? BTW I did have bags on it as a back-up but it is much more efficient if you can just kick 'em up to the boat.

Are you still working the hulls or doing something else?

Kind Regards,
Leann

 

[Saturation]

caboLH once bubbled...
Saturation,

Interesting developments in the numb fingers dept....after your last e-mail and great explainations on where pressure may be the problem I changed my wetsuit configuration. I now wear a sports bra for 'support' as opposed to cinching the the wetsuit straps to keep the 'girls' lined up.

I just finished my third day of diving with this set-up and I have not experienced the numbness in my hands to the extent I was having. The first day of the new set-up I had a very brief bout with my right hand as I got into the water, then nothing for the rest of the day, there was also a little 'tingling' sensation on my inner lest wrist briefly. The last two days no numbness at all. I also changed my work habits a bit and am working more on my back in the water so as not to hyper-extend my hands when trying to wrap it around the boat's hull.

Hopefully this continues to work. Also, is it probable to get Carpal Tunnell in both hands at the same time?

Kind Regards,
Leann

Hi L:

I'm happy for you. This is what diving medicine is all about, a few simple changes and the problem is fixed, at least for now.

Yes, its common to have carpal tunnel on both hands if both hands do the same task: typing, cleaning, wrapping, etc., one hand disease can occur for one hand tasks, like mouse related problems or writing issues.

At this point its not as important to know whether you have carpal tunnel or not, since the problem has gone away. Yes, you can also have carpal tunnel simultaneously with axillary compression. If the more distant branches of the axillary nerve are under stress [from the carpal tunnel] then they are 'sensitive' to problems with the root, the axillary nerve, and will be the first to show any signs of axillary compression.

 

[rmediver2002]

Leann,

Are you still working the hulls or doing something else?

Not any more, quarterly on one vessel but thats it.

Down here it gets so hot in the summer you work in coveralls and a dew rag but the growth and animals still get on every inch of you...

Don't you love picking up something underwater that weighs as much as you do and then kicking like there is no tomorrow to surface it??

Ughh, we would have to change mike boat screws pretty often. Tie them off to the surface but the shaft is inset about 5' from the stern and the hull is just above the shaft so no lift bag just swimming... Sometimes right near the skeg it would seem hopeless...

There was one spot we could get once in a while in port were you could do the work standing on the bottom and that was nice.

Oh well think of the muscle tone you gained in your legs swimming it!!

Stay safe!!

Jeff