Spina bifida alleviated by diving

[Mac99]

I recently saw a UK TV show where a spina bifida sufferer found diving reversed his leg paralysis.

Basically he had lost the use of his legs around age 25 but found that on a try dive in Egypt many many years later, he regained some feeling below something like 12 meters. A subsequent dive to 40 meters gives him the use of his legs back for around 8 months before the paralysis comes back. Repeating the deep dive again alleviates his condition and returns the use of his legs to him..

I wondered if there are any other documented accounts of this, or similar instances?

 

[Plumb bob]

Spina Bifida, along with many other conditions, is routinely treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy, must have been quite an amazing day out for that fella..


Rob

 

[TSandM]

After doing some searching, I found very little in the medical literature about hyperbaric oxygen and spina bifida, but a great deal in the popular press. That would suggest to me that "routinely treated" is a bit strong.

 

[Wozzer]

Erm, sounds a bit fishy to me...

When nerves lose O2, they die. They're not particularly good at growing back either (and it takes a while).

 

[Mako Mark]

I worked with a Hyperbaric doctor in Mexico who was having some extraordinary successes with kids with seizures I think there are a lot of things that could benifit from hyper oxygen therapy that we havent discovered yet.

 

[RICHinNC]

Beats me....but a couple of deep dives....no arthritis pain for me.

 

[Mac99]

Erm, sounds a bit fishy to me...

When nerves lose O2, they die. They're not particularly good at growing back either (and it takes a while).

Don't think there was anything below board going on in the show I saw, it wasn't about the guys condition really, just a tacky morning TV show about selling your spare junk to raise money. He wanted his to go diving to sort out his condition again.. I guess you would have to have watched it to pass judgement.

I am no expert on Spina Bifida, however I do know that it comes in many forms of severity. I would hazard to guess that the chap in the program had a less severe form, (as it didn't affect him until he was an adult) and that probably his paralysis was caused by his abnormal vertebrae allowing his spinal cord to be traumatized. (It is pretty easy to mess up a nerve without killing it, as anyone who has fallen asleep on their arm will know!). Spina Bifida does not always mean that the nerves in the spine are dead/unformed. I would guess that the guys condition was improved by the application of pressure from depth rearranging his body parts in a manner that alleviated the trauma suffered by spinal cord..could have been elevated ppO2 also, who knows?

Anyhow, nothing too fishy I think, apart from perhaps any fish he saw on his dive

The happy outcome made me feel good for the guy and as it was diving related got my interest up. All too often reports of deeper diving focus on DCS and subsequent paralysis so it was interesting to see the opposite occurring!

 

[wildwater]

Hey MAC99.

Just wondering if you had any more info now in the subject of "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy" we are all divers here and I have heard to of the the "pressure/increased oxygen" reaching the capillaries during diving and that it will help in some healing processes. So I have done two 33 ft dives which is the depth I heard was appropriate for healing. (?)

I am investigating this subject and asking these question because, two weeks ago I had a mystery bout with an incapacitating, left: upper back/neck/arm problem - including numbness out to my index finger- (like it is asleep- still)

This occured over night during my sleep without cause - strange - and painfull - I couldnt move to even get out of bed.

All this to say I had xrays done with no identifiable issues in the bone and was just prescribed pain killers, anti inflammatories and some relaxation, which has reduced the pain to an ache in the arm and numbness in the hand and fingers.. so It will probably pass eventually.

Any information you may have on this subject of diving therapy, or a pointer to some, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Andrew

 

[Mac99]

Just wondering if you had any more info now in the subject of "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy"

Mmm sorry not at the moment, unfortunately very busy just now, but I will try and look around in near future!

...two weeks ago I had a mystery bout with an incapacitating, left: upper back/neck/arm problem...

I have had similar problems before, for me it was caused by bad posture whilst writing and using my computer, combined with a bad mattress and weak back musculature! Lots of pain from this all the way from behind the ear right down to the finger tips..mostly seemed the trapezius cramping and annoying my nerves. Sports therapist and regular exercise seemed to have stopped it ever coming back..

Good luck

 

[Squishy]

Hi! I saw this story and did a search on it on the board to see if it had already been discussed. The link below is to the full story with pictures. Very interesting!!!

News of the World


-Mike-