Man Suffers A Stroke After Neck Massage Every Week

A man from India suffered a stroke after enduring a rough neck massage, a bizarre new case report has revealed.

Doctors believe the unidentified patient’s love for being caressed may be to blame for the blood clot in his brain, reported Daily Mail.

The 45-year-old, believed to be from Ludhiana in Punjab, revealed he had between two and four massages each week.

Medics have spoken of the incident in the prestigious BMJ Case Reports, citing the “repeated” massages to be the “trigger factor”.

Doctors at Dayanand Medical College & Hospital were told the patient’s obsession was due to “relaxation purposes”.

He was rushed to the hospital with sudden onset aphasia — language impairment — and weakness of both lower limbs.

The patient was also mute and was unable to make decisions on his own, prompting doctors to be concerned he suffered a stroke but the patient had “no significant medical history” and no risk factors that made him more likely to have a stroke.

Tests revealed the patient suffered an anterior cerebral artery infarction — the major vessel transports blood to the frontal lobes.

Common causes tend to be a ruptured aneurysm that stops the flow of blood to the brain or a potentially fatal clot.

However, cervical spine manipulation in the form of neck massage is a little known mechanical trigger for cervical artery dissection.

This involves a tear in the artery lining and formation of an intimal flap, which allows penetration of blood between the vessel layers.

Further, this results in an arterial narrowing or even complete obstruction of the lumen, leading to a lack of blood flow to the brain.

The strange case was reported by Dr. Jaslovleen Kaur, of the hospital’s Department of Neurology.

“In view of the repeated cervical spine manipulation, we consider the chiropractic neck massage to be the trigger factor,” she said.

The patient is now believed to be on the road to recovery.

Loading…

So, how did massages trigger a stroke? It is believed the repeated cervical spine manipulation in the form of the frequent neck massages was to blame.

According to doctors, a neck massage — which often ends with a neck crack — can cause long-term damage to neck joints and surrounding tissues, muscles or nerves or even cause bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis like in this case.

The point is that a neck massage may seem to be a great way to relieve tension and stress, but it can be dangerous.

Moreover, the arteries of the neck are a little bit fragile, so getting massage therapy by poorly trained or incompetent therapists can cause serious problems, including a stroke.

Doctors also added that a harmless neck massage can lead to injury to the blood vessels, leading to a stroke or paralytic brain attack.

It’s best to avoid any vigorous movements or overextension of the neck and one should always avoid getting neck massages by untrained staff.

So, it’s always better to avoid it unless under the supervision of well qualified professional.

Source: DM