diver's palsy

Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.
Related to diver's palsy: diver's paralysis

de·com·pres·sion sick·ness

a symptom complex caused by the escape from solution in the body fluids of nitrogen bubbles absorbed originally at high atmospheric pressure, as a result of abrupt reduction in atmospheric pressure (either rapid ascent to high altitude or return from a compressed-air environment); it is characterized by headache; pain in the arms, legs, joints, and epigastrium; itching of the skin; vertigo; dyspnea; coughing; choking; vomiting; weakness (and sometimes) paralysis; and severe peripheral circulatory collapse. Bone infarcts can occur from bubbles in nutrient vessels leading to long-term consequences.
See also: caisson sickness.


(pal'ze) [Fr. palesie, paralisie, fr L. paralysis, fr Gr. paralysis, loosening, disabling] Paralysis.

birth palsy

See: birth paralysis

brachial palsy

See: birth paralysis

bulbar palsy

Palsy caused by degeneration of the nuclear cells of the lower cranial nerves. This causes progressive muscular paralysis.

cerebral palsy

Abbreviation: CP
See: cerebral palsy

crutch palsy

Paralysis resulting from pressure on nerves in the axilla from use of a crutch.

diver's palsy

See: decompression illness

Erb's palsy

See: Duchenne-Erb paralysis

facial palsy

See: Bell's palsy

facial nerve palsy

See: Bell's palsy

lead palsy

Paralysis of the extremities in lead poisoning.

mercurial palsy

Paralysis induced by mercury poisoning.

night palsy

A form of paresthesia characterized by numbness, esp. at night.

peroneal nerve palsy

Paralysis of the peroneal nerve, often caused by automobile accidents in which a pedestrian's leg is injured, by fractures of the tibia, or by other occurrences of nerve disruption or compression. It produces footdrop.

pressure palsy

See: compression paralysis

progressive supranuclear palsy

A chronic progressive degenerative disease of the central nervous system that has its onset in middle age. Common symptoms include difficulty walking (with frequent falls), impairments in speech and in swallowing, and an inability to gaze upward.

Saturday night palsy

Paralysis due to prolonged ischemia of the musculospiral nerve incident to compressing an arm against a hard edge. It occurs if the patient has been comatose or in a stupor or has fallen asleep with the arm hanging over the edge of a bed or chair. In some cultures individuals traditionally become intoxicated on Saturday night; while stuporous, they may remain in a position that allows nerve compression.
Synonym: musculospiral paralysis; radial paralysis; Saturday night paralysisSunday morning paralysis

scrivener's palsy

See: writer's cramp

shaking palsy

An archaic term for Parkinson's disease.

wasting palsy

See: spinal muscular atrophy