Scuba diving may benefit those with spinal cord injuries. According to new research it may help improve muscle movement, touch sensitivity and post-traumatic stress disorder. The research study included 10 veterans who had suffered spinal cord injuries approximately 15 years earlier and use wheelchairs.
The veterans underwent scuba diving certification and among the eight who completed the study, researchers found increases in sensitivity to pin prick and light touch as well as an average 80 percent decrease in post-traumatic stress order symptoms.
“What we saw in the water strongly suggests there is some scuba-facilitated restoration of neurological and psychological function in paraplegics,” said study co-author Dr. Adam Kaplin in a news release. Kaplin is an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral services at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and data was presented earlier this fall at the Paralyzed Veterans of America conference in Orlando, Fla. Read more...
