Pressure

[Zyxistal]

Question: I have noticed (and heard the same from a few other people with EDS that dive) that when I get to somewhere between 40 and 75 feet (this varies from person to person) I get a very sharp pain in most of my joints from the pressure on them. I have discussed this with the few people I know who dive and have EDS and one of them mentioned that wearing a dry suit solved the problem for them. What I'm trying to figure out is how wearing a DS would make any difference at all.

Thanks.

[navyhmc]

Is the EDS you refer to: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?

If so, it could be that the extra bit of padding in the dry suit is enough to releive the pain associated with the pressure?

[Zyxistal]

Sorry, yes it is. That was my original thought but the pressure inside the dry suit should be the same as the pressure on the outside of the suit so the only difference is that you don't have a wetsuit constricting you as well as the pressure.

[neogeo]

When you inflate the suit it actually relieves pressure.

[LaCroix42]

Here's my thoughts on the subject: The claim is that the hyper extension causes a gas bubble in the joints, like we all try to avoid. The use of the dry suit, as I understand it, is to relieve partial pressure on that joint, not to relieve direct pressure. My comment directly to Zyx on the subject is if you're at 3ATA, you're still at 3ATA of pressure on the joint and the gas bubble. How does diving dry alleviate that? If it did work then you would hear that diving dry will keep you from getting bent (which we all know is not the case).

Or, as I like to say, am I missing something fundamental and it is a case of direct joint pressure vs. my perception is gas partial pressure at the joint?

[Zyxistal]

Thanks, I couldn't have said it better myself. And I didn't either.

[navyhmc]

I pm'd Zyxistal, but there could be a corallary between the tightness of the wet suit on the joints and the bit of difficulty getting into a wetsuit vs. putting on a dry suit that could be a basis for the pain as well and has nothing to do with the pressure at depth. If you think about it, with the exception of putting on the neck section, a dry suit goes on with a lot less effort than a wetsuit.

As an aside, have you talked about this with the doctor, or would the doc be upset that you're diving?

[LaCroix42]

I hadn't even thought of the annoyance of getting into the neoprene. Okay, I guess it could either be a bit of placebo effect or some real benefit since you're not stressing the joints as much. Less stress at the outset == less stress at depth?