On Sun, 1 Dec 2002 10:24:20 -0600, Crusty Russ <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Hello to all, sorry I've been so scarce lately, however I've been >keeping track of the postings. Amazing! And welcome back. I figured you just had an overdose of Chinese food while you were working on the symphony hall in Shanghai. Speaking of symphony hall, violin, and the Chinese Cultural Revolution :-)) ... "The Red Violin" is a fascinating (old) movie, which you can rent in video stores. One of its segments will give you an appreciation of what Mao's Chinese Cultural Revolution wiped out ALL music, literature, art, etc. from China during that period of Red Guard freezy. :-) I loved that movie not for THAT reason but for the fact that it was a fascinating tale and it had good violin music in it!! :-) Tell us how the Shanghai Symphony Hall project is coming along. If its completion is expected in the not-too-distant future, I may wait to visit Shanghai and tell them I know that Crusty guy who designed it. Onto the main event: >Disregarding most of Christian's missive that Bob has effectively >dismembered, :-) Correction! I was doing only the warm-up job for Alfred to bring in DAN Medical Director, Dr. Thalmann, for the dismemberment Main Event. :-) >there is one area mentioned that is of great interest >to me and I recently came across an interesting medical description of >the physiological effects of the valsalva maneuver written by Dr. Ernie >Campbell. > >------------ >Question: >What happens with the valsalva maneuver and why can it be dangerous? ( snip ) The keyword is "can", and certainly so. Many newbies blow their eardrums off. Less frequently are some of the other POTENTIAL dangers of the manoeuver -- just like the daner of DIVING! :-) Dr. Campbell did a much, much better job THIS time. :-))))) >You can see why it would be better if a diver learned another clearing >technique. Only if the Valsalva is inadequate AND/OR improperly done by a diver. >Personally, I have found the Toynbee maneuver to be much more effective, >reliable, and 'easy on the ears' way of clearing than valsalva. If it works best you, then it's best for you. As I said, different Folks, different Strokes. :-)) I have NEVER had any problem clearing my ears using the Valsalva, but have tried the rest and found them to be inferior, and that's why it's best for ME. This, as in ANY medical diagnosis or recommendation, must be done on a CASE by CASE basis except some extreme truisim such as "you should not point a loaded gun on your forehead and pull the trigger." :-) That's why both DAN and the medical profession has now eliminated many FORMER "absolute contraindications" to diving (such as diabetes, asthma, etc., etc.) in favor of making the more sensible AND correct recommendation of "consult the physician on a case by case basis". >In any case, it can't hurt to repeat Bob's excellent suggestion: > > Whatever you read, cycle them through the computer between your ears! Thanks for your endorsement, Crusty. I followed my own recommendation and cycled yours through, and you were reading some that came out of my recycle process. :-))))) Much of what Crusty didn't snip from my post was more or less irrelevant to the Valsalva technique itself. So, I snipped them all. Except perhaps this by-product. :-) >> >> That's YOUR abuse of Valsalva, if you use it to gauge depth. :-) >> That's what your depth gauge or computer are for! -- Bob.