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Scuba Diving for the Mobility Challenged

Medicine has been practiced for centuries and there have been many discoveries made about the human body. The body can be a truly amazing and very resilient device. In many cases, it is able to heal itself and if not, a mind may be able to figure out a way to help the body.

Some discoveries, such as penicillin, have saved countless lives, while others have helped to further understanding and help lead the way to a cure. As doctors continue to research spinal cord injuries, they are beginning to see some cases where the body is able to partially heal itself.

The general consensuses among most doctors is that exercise is extremely important for staying healthy and promoting healing. Many times, exercise is actually essential to helping the body heal. As a result of these discoveries, sports and physical activities now often make up a big part of treating spinal cord injuries.

It is all too often veterans, and the people who work with them, who end up furthering our understanding of spinal cord injuries and how to treat them. From the wounded veterans of World War II who first began playing wheelchair basketball in the forties, to the soldiers returning from Iraq today, wounded soldiers have all too often led the charge in researching and treating these kinds of injuries.

One activity that has shown tremendous potential for treating spinal cord injuries is underwater scuba diving. Scuba diving is where an individual swims underwater using an oxygen tank to breath.

The advantage that swimming underwater provides for a scuba diver, is that it requires much less effort to propel their body through the water. Many people who are disabled are able to learn to swim underwater. The sensation is usually described as flying and it can have a tremendous physiological effect, but it can also play a big part in physical healing.

If a persons nervous system is still partially intact, it is possible that the body might be able to partially repair itself. Exercises can give the nervous system that extra kick it needs to begin healing. Sometimes an individual is able to move their appendages much easier underwater, they are then able to exercise muscles that they would not have been able to move otherwise.

Disabled scuba diving has been around for more than twenty years. Several programs are currently being offered to wounded solider soldiers. At Walter Reed Hospital, one program called SUDS is offered to soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

SUDS, or Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba, is part of the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project. This project is aimed at improving the lives of soldiers who have been wounded. Since February of 2007, over a hundred soldiers have participated in SUDS.

According to the SUDS site, quality scuba gear can be obtained for around $1500 and $2000. Aside from the equipment, the cost of certification and training is paid for by Donations, so there is no cost to the soldier. The soldier must receive written permission from their doctor and have been wounded in Iraq of Afghanistan to apply.

There are also several other organizations that promote disabled diving, including those for civilians and soldiers. This includes the International Association of Handicapped Divers (IAHD), which has been around for over ten years.

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