Joint pain caused by fast compression to high ambient pressure
Compression arthralgia is pain in the joints caused by exposure to high ambient pressure at a relatively high rate of compression, experienced by underwater divers. Also referred to in the U.S. Navy Diving Manual as compression pains.[1]
Compression arthralgia has been recorded as deep aching pain in the knees, shoulders, fingers, back, hips, neck and ribs. Pain may be sudden and intense in onset and may be accompanied by a feeling of roughness in the joints.[2][1]
Onset commonly occurs around 60 msw (meters of sea water), and symptoms are variable depending on depth, compression rate and personal susceptibility. Intensity increases with depth and may be aggravated by exercise. Compression arthralgia is generally a problem of deep diving, particularly deep saturation diving, where at sufficient depth even slow compression may produce symptoms. Peter B. Bennett et al. (1974) found that the use of trimix could reduce the symptoms.[3][4]
Fast compression (descent) may produce symptoms as shallow as 30 msw. Saturation divers generally compress much more slowly, and symptoms are unlikely at less than around 90 msw. At depths beyond 180m even very slow compression may produce symptoms. Spontaneous improvement may occur over time at depth, but this is unpredictable, and pain may persist into decompression. Symptoms may be distinguished from decompression sickness as they are present before starting decompression, and resolve with decreasing pressure, the opposite of decompression sickness. The pain may be sufficiently severe to limit the diver's capacity for work, and may also limit travel rate and depth of downward excursions.[2][1]
Mechanism
The mechanism of compression arthralgia is not known.[2][1]
Treatment
The symptoms generally resolve during decompression and require no further treatment.[2][1]
References
- ^ a b c d e US Navy (1 December 2016). U.S. Navy Diving Manual Revision 7 SS521-AG-PRO-010 0910-LP-115-1921 (PDF). Vol. 1. Washington, DC.: US Naval Sea Systems Command. section 3-11.2 Compression Arthralgia.
- ^ a b c d Campbell, Ernest (10 June 2010). "Compression arthralgia". Scubadoc's Diving Medicine Online. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ^ Bennett, P.B.; Blenkarn, G.D.; Roby, J.; Youngblood, D (September 1974). "Suppression of the high pressure nervous syndrome (HPNS) in human dives to 720 ft. and 1000 ft. by use of N2/He/02". Undersea Biomedical Research. 1 (3). Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society: 221–37. PMID 4469093.
- ^ Bennett, P.B.; Blenkarn, G.D.; Roby, J.; Youngblood, D. (10–11 May 1974). Suppression of the high pressure nervous syndrome (HPNS) in human dives to 720 ft. and 1000 ft. by use of N2/He/O2. Abstract from the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS). Washington, D. C.
Underwater diving
- Diving activities
- Diving modes
- Atmospheric pressure diving
- Freediving
- Saturation diving
- Scuba diving
- Snorkeling
- Surface oriented diving
- Surface-supplied diving
- Unmanned diving
|
Diving equipment |
---|
Basic equipment | |
---|
Breathing gas | |
---|
Buoyancy and trim equipment | |
---|
Decompression equipment | |
---|
Diving suit | |
---|
Helmets and masks | |
---|
Instrumentation | |
---|
Mobility equipment | |
---|
Safety equipment | |
---|
Underwater breathing apparatus | |
---|
Diving equipment manufacturers | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Access equipment | |
---|
Breathing gas handling | |
---|
Decompression equipment | |
---|
Platforms | |
---|
Remotely operated underwater vehicles | |
---|
Safety equipment | |
---|
General | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Activities | |
---|
Competitions | |
---|
Equipment | |
---|
Freedivers | |
---|
Hazards | |
---|
Historical | |
---|
Organisations | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Occupations | |
---|
Underwater work | Salvage diving | - SS Egypt
- Kronan
- La Belle
- SS Laurentic
- RMS Lusitania
- Mars
- Mary Rose
- USS Monitor
- HMS Royal George
- Vasa
|
---|
|
---|
Diving contractors | |
---|
Tools and equipment | |
---|
Underwater weapons | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Specialties | |
---|
Diver organisations | |
---|
Diving tourism industry | |
---|
Diving events and festivals | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Diving hazards | |
---|
Diving procedures | |
---|
Risk management | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Diving disorders | Pressure related | Oxygen | |
---|
Inert gases | |
---|
Carbon dioxide | |
---|
Breathing gas contaminants | |
---|
|
---|
Immersion related | |
---|
|
---|
Treatment | |
---|
Personnel | |
---|
Screening | |
---|
Research | Researchers in diving physiology and medicine | |
---|
Diving medical research organisations | |
---|
|
---|
|
|
|
|
---|
Archeological sites | |
---|
Underwater art and artists | |
---|
Engineers and inventors | |
---|
Historical equipment | |
---|
Military and covert operations | - Raid on Alexandria (1941)
- Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
|
---|
Scientific projects | |
---|
Awards and events | |
---|
Incidents | Dive boat incidents | |
---|
Diver rescues | |
---|
Early diving | |
---|
Freediving fatalities | |
---|
Offshore diving incidents | - Byford Dolphin diving bell accident
- Drill Master diving accident
- Star Canopus diving accident
- Stena Seaspread diving accident
- Venture One diving accident
- Waage Drill II diving accident
- Wildrake diving accident
|
---|
Professional diving fatalities | |
---|
Scuba diving fatalities | |
---|
|
---|
|
|
Publications |
---|
Manuals | - NOAA Diving Manual
- U.S. Navy Diving Manual
- Basic Cave Diving: A Blueprint for Survival
- Underwater Handbook
- Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving
- Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving
- The new science of skin and scuba diving
- Professional Diver's Handbook
- Basic Scuba
|
---|
Standards and Codes of Practice | |
---|
General non-fiction | |
---|
Research | |
---|
Dive guides | |
---|
|
|
Training and registration |
---|
Diver training | |
---|
Recreational scuba certification levels | Core diving skills | |
---|
Leadership skills | |
---|
Specialist skills | |
---|
|
---|
Diver training certification and registration organisations | Commercial diver certification authorities | |
---|
Commercial diving schools | |
---|
Free-diving certification agencies | |
---|
Recreational scuba certification agencies | |
---|
Scientific diver certification authorities | |
---|
Technical diver certification agencies | |
---|
|
---|
Military diver training centres | |
---|
Military diver training courses | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Surface snorkeling | |
---|
Snorkeling/breath-hold | |
---|
Breath-hold | |
---|
Open Circuit Scuba | |
---|
Rebreather | |
---|
Sports governing organisations and federations | |
---|
Competitions | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Pioneers of diving | |
---|
Underwater scientists archaeologists and environmentalists | |
---|
Scuba record holders | |
---|
Underwater filmmakers and presenters | |
---|
Underwater photographers | |
---|
Underwater explorers | |
---|
Aquanauts | |
---|
Writers and journalists | |
---|
Rescuers | |
---|
Frogmen | |
---|
Commercial salvors | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Diving physics | |
---|
Diving physiology | |
---|
Diving environment | |
---|
|
|
Other |
---|
Deep-submergence vehicle | - Aluminaut
- DSV Alvin
- American submarine NR-1
- Bathyscaphe
- Archimède
- FNRS-2
- FNRS-3
- Harmony class bathyscaphe
- Sea Pole-class bathyscaphe
- Trieste II
- Deepsea Challenger
- Ictineu 3
- JAGO
- Jiaolong
- Konsul-class submersible
- Limiting Factor
- Russian submarine Losharik
- Mir
- Nautile
- Pisces-class deep submergence vehicle
- DSV Sea Cliff
- DSV Shinkai
- DSV Shinkai 2000
- DSV Shinkai 6500
- DSV Turtle
- DSV-5 Nemo
|
---|
Submarine rescue | Deep-submergence rescue vehicle | |
---|
|
---|
Submarine escape | |
---|
Special interest groups | |
---|
Neutral buoyancy facilities for Astronaut training | |
---|
Other | |
---|
|
|
|