Skydiving injury numbness weakness in arms hands

[ouch]

Hello,
I was hoping that someone could perhaps offer some advice on a problem I’ve been having related to a skydiving incident. About 1 month ago while skydiving, I had an unusually fast parachute deployment while in freefall at 120 mph. Normally the parachute opens fairly gently, however this time it opened instantly and I was abruptly slowed from 120 mph to about a 10 mph descent in about 1 or 2 seconds approximately. When the parachute deploys, your weight is supported by the leg straps of the harness, as you are brought to an upright position. I actually had welts and bruises on my legs from the opening shock. From what I understand, a parachute opening like this can cause the skydiver to briefly experience 3-4 G’s. After the opening, I was seeing stars and may have lost consciousness for a second. I had trouble raising my head. However after about 10 seconds I regained my composure and tried to reach up for the steering handles above my head. I was able to reach up with my right arm, but for the life of me could not lift my left arm. It was totally weak. Eventually after some effort I was able to raise my left arm and grab the steering lines, but my fingers were numb (It’s like when your fingers are so cold they just won’t work) and I had no strength to actually pull the steering line with my left arm to control my parachute. All I had use of was my right arm that was working. Anyway, after I landed my entire left arm did not work. My hand was totally numb, and everything with that arm and shoulder was weak. I had trouble driving home. Anyway, throughout the next week the symptoms got better. The numbness was still there in my hand, all over my hand but mostly on the left side and up the left side of my forearm. My neck and shoulder was sore too. But by the next weekend, after a week, I felt like I was ok for another skydive. I tested my arm, and found I had got almost all my strength back. I still had some numbness but wasn’t too concerned about it. So I went up, and same thing! Another really hard opening! It was the same parachute and apparently there is any issue with it. And again, I couldn’t reach up with my left arm or get it to work at all. The numbess came back afterwards even worse, and now my right hand is numb too. Not as bad but numb for sure. After the second time I have been taking it easy for two weeks. My doctor said take Aleve and don’t skydive for a month. I went to a chiropractor who told me the same thing. I’m having issues explaining how the opening of parachute works to these guys – They think it stretches my spine, but I believe it’s more of a compressive type of action. Anyway, I still have numbness and weakness in my hands……Is there anything I can do to get back to my normal life and skydiving again? Here is a video of a parachute deployment if it helps. This is a tandem skydive which was not the type of skydive I was on but you can see the action fairly well here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nuuNQ1y9E

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[asha]

Since at the first episode you were not able to raise your head it seems that you have got a flexion injury to your cervical spine. But a more clear picture is neccessary in terms of clinical assessment. Injuries could be varied & the treatments different accordingly.