After a recent dive trip, a friend experienced "pins and needles" sensation on the back of her thighs which lasted for a long time after surfacing. She has experienced this before after diving in relatively cold water (24 C, yeah I know it's nothing to most of you but the water is usually 28-30 C here in Thailand). Is this perhaps something which she should be concerned about? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
"Pins and needles" after diving...
- Thread starter Vie
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Pins and needles are never a good thing after a dive and I would strongly suggest that you get your friend to get themselves checked up by a professional familiar with diving.
What sort of profiles are you doing? Are you pushing NDL's etc? Any more info you can give us would be really useful.
What sort of profiles are you doing? Are you pushing NDL's etc? Any more info you can give us would be really useful.
Diving Doc:
Normal recreational profile, air dives (EANx was not available), no deeper than 28m (averaging around 16m on most dives), usually four dives per day (my friend usually only does three dives) for four days - total 15 dives. Not pushing NDL. Deep stop and very slow ascent on all dives; i. e., on a 24m dive, a one minute pause/deep stop at 12m and then moving up in 3m/1minute increments (at least 20 sec. "travel time" between each 3m "block" and then pausing until 1 minute is up before continuing ascent).
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Hi Vie,
The sensations described are known as paresthesias and post-dive can indicate several conditions. Paresthesia is the second most common complaint in DCS, coming just after musculoskeletal pain. It can and often is the only symptom.
When these sensations occur on the skin, they can be the result of cutaneous DCS (aka "skin bends"), a condition that typically is benign and clears without treatment or residual, but can be an early warning signal with more serious features developing rapidly. Skin bends most commonly affect the torso and can range from a simple and very short-lasting pins-and-needles sensation to intensely itchy, mottled rashes.
However, given: (1) dive profiles which are not at all suggestive of DCS; (2) paresthesia of the rear thighs as the only symptom; (3) occurrence only after diving in relatively cool water; and, (4) sensations that last for extended periods, there are other potential causes to be ruled out.
High on the list would be a wetsuit (or other topside or u/w garment) or weight belt that is excessively snug in the hip, groin or thigh area and could result in compression of a superficial cutaneous nerve. Any likelihood this could be the case?
Is there any history of obesity, back problems or other medical condition?
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.
Regards,
DocVikingo
The sensations described are known as paresthesias and post-dive can indicate several conditions. Paresthesia is the second most common complaint in DCS, coming just after musculoskeletal pain. It can and often is the only symptom.
When these sensations occur on the skin, they can be the result of cutaneous DCS (aka "skin bends"), a condition that typically is benign and clears without treatment or residual, but can be an early warning signal with more serious features developing rapidly. Skin bends most commonly affect the torso and can range from a simple and very short-lasting pins-and-needles sensation to intensely itchy, mottled rashes.
However, given: (1) dive profiles which are not at all suggestive of DCS; (2) paresthesia of the rear thighs as the only symptom; (3) occurrence only after diving in relatively cool water; and, (4) sensations that last for extended periods, there are other potential causes to be ruled out.
High on the list would be a wetsuit (or other topside or u/w garment) or weight belt that is excessively snug in the hip, groin or thigh area and could result in compression of a superficial cutaneous nerve. Any likelihood this could be the case?
Is there any history of obesity, back problems or other medical condition?
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.
Regards,
DocVikingo
fisherdvm
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If you are just diving a very safe profile, it can be a peripheral neralgia. Not infrequently, cutanous nerves along the thighs get pinched or irritated.
However, depending on the distribution, more significant pathology such as herniated disk should be entertained.
I am not a neurologist, but often pretend to be one ....
However, depending on the distribution, more significant pathology such as herniated disk should be entertained.
I am not a neurologist, but often pretend to be one ....
LittleFrogFish
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Hi Vie,
It's LoogYee here. Many thanks for posting the question for me, and a big thank for ruling out obesity
Very conservative diving we did. In addition to the deep stops and the 1 minute we spent for each 3m ascending, we also extended the stops to 3 minutes for the 6m and 3m stops during the last two days.
I do have bad back and constantly aching shoulders (so it seems).
I wear no weight belt but do wish I had a bigger wetsuit. It's just that the next larger size is usually too big for me. I'll shop around for better fit and let you know if it helps.
Having said that, I didn't get pins and needles after a two-day trip in warmer water of Pattaya though. The common things about the two trips that I had pins and needles are the relatively cold water and number of dives (4 - 5 days of diving). The first time I only had it at the back of my thighs but this time it happened to my upper left arm too. Each episode never lasted long though. I'm pretty sure non of them lasted more than a minute. It's disappeared about 3 days after my last dive.
I also flew the day after my last dive and it didn't get worse.
Ok, it's time to dig up that neurologist friend's phone number then :blinking:
Anyway, thanks everyone. I'll get a new wetsuit and see a neurologist. Vie, I'll have to try the new wetsuit. Tell me when and where
It's LoogYee here. Many thanks for posting the question for me, and a big thank for ruling out obesity
Diving Doc:
Very conservative diving we did. In addition to the deep stops and the 1 minute we spent for each 3m ascending, we also extended the stops to 3 minutes for the 6m and 3m stops during the last two days.
DocVikingo:
I do have bad back and constantly aching shoulders (so it seems).
I wear no weight belt but do wish I had a bigger wetsuit. It's just that the next larger size is usually too big for me. I'll shop around for better fit and let you know if it helps.
Having said that, I didn't get pins and needles after a two-day trip in warmer water of Pattaya though. The common things about the two trips that I had pins and needles are the relatively cold water and number of dives (4 - 5 days of diving). The first time I only had it at the back of my thighs but this time it happened to my upper left arm too. Each episode never lasted long though. I'm pretty sure non of them lasted more than a minute. It's disappeared about 3 days after my last dive.
I also flew the day after my last dive and it didn't get worse.
fisherdvm:
Ok, it's time to dig up that neurologist friend's phone number then :blinking:
Anyway, thanks everyone. I'll get a new wetsuit and see a neurologist. Vie, I'll have to try the new wetsuit. Tell me when and where
Yeah i think its worth getting it checked out if only for your own peace of mind!! Seems a bit bizarre this one, maybe just coincidental that its happening whilst diving.
Good luck with it and hope its just something silly!!
Good luck with it and hope its just something silly!!
LittleFrogFish
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Diving Doc:
Thanks! I do hope it's something silly too.
Please god... I couldn't have put on weight and am still in denial... :no
fisherdvm
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Hey, this reminds me. Everytime I sit in my cold cold car to wait for it to warm up, I get this burning sensation on my right thigh. I think cold temperature can trigger some spasms or something that affects the cutanous nerves. I haven't cracked an anatomy book for a while, but if you send a picture of where the sensation is, we can look it up for you where the nerve starts and ends.
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