Colloquialism for caisson sickness; decompression sickness. [fr. convulsive posture of those so afflicted]
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bends 'ben(d)z n pl but sing or pl in constr the painful manifestations (as joint pain) of decompression sickness also DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS usu. used with the <a case of the \bends>
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n.
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(bendz) pain in the limbs and abdomen occurring as a result of rapid reduction of air pressure; see decompression sickness, under sickness.Medical dictionary. 2011.