Damage to arteries in the neck is a well-known cause of strokes in younger patients, but this is usually the result of sport injuries or car accidents. In the first report of its kind in Australasia, doctors at Monash University share a case study of a 39-year-old man who experienced a stroke after receiving a Thai massage which appeared to damage the blood flow in his neck. Following treatment in hospital, the man made a full recovery. Two other cases have been reported in China and India, so although the risk is low, the doctors call for tighter regulation of the massage industry.
Journal/conference: New Zealand Medical Journal
Organisation/s: Monash University
Damage to an artery in the neck can result in a stroke in the brain. This is normally caused by high-energy trauma such as car accidents. We treated a patient in the emergency department who was found to have this significant brain injury following a massage. The case was suggestive that massage could be an unrecognised cause of stroke. Stroke following massage has not previously been reported in Australasia.
