Why can neck and shoulder massage be deadly?

Improper neck massage will affect motor and sensory functions in the nerve-controlled area, causing paralysis, spinal cord damage and death.

According to Dr. Calvin Q. Trinh, Director of HMR Rehabilitation and Bodybuilding Center, the neck is a vital part of the body in the literal sense, meaning it is both important and weak. The cervical spinal cord is where nerves are transmitted from the brain to the entire body.

Some non-professional massage therapists, even trained ones, use strong force to create cracking sounds, or press deeply and strongly to relieve pain for patients, or use a wooden hammer to hit the spine hard. These methods cause damage to the vertebrae such as displacement, fracture, compression, bleeding, swelling leading to spinal cord damage. In particular, in people with underlying diseases of degenerative vertebral body, osteoporosis, mild spinal trauma, the above impacts can cause severe spinal cord damage.

As a result, motor and sensory functions in the nerve area are affected, and in more severe cases, paralysis or even paralysis of the limbs or whole body can occur. If the injury occurs in the high spinal cord (C3 or higher), it can damage the cardiovascular and respiratory nervous systems, leading to death.

People with neck and shoulder pain should go to a medical facility for proper treatment. (Photo: Provided by Doctor).

According to doctors, neck and shoulder pain is mostly caused by an imbalance in the upper body muscles, leading to muscle contraction, muscle tension and overload in the neck and shoulder area, causing pain and fatigue. The head then protrudes forward, changing the physiological curve of the cervical spine, activating the body's self-protection mechanism. This causes the muscles in the spinal area to contract to maintain the structure, increasing disc pressure, causing herniation, reducing range of motion, changing the center of gravity of the joint, leading to spinal degeneration.

The disease is common in people who sit a lot, use computers or smartphones regularly, related to posture and living habits . In cases of severe muscle imbalance, the patient cannot raise their arms, even when combing their hair, may have pain along the arm or numbness in the fingers, accompanied by muscle tension in the neck and shoulder area, which is very uncomfortable. Neck and shoulder pain can also be caused by many reasons such as degeneration, herniated discs of the cervical vertebrae, lung apex tumors.

Massage can help you relax, feel comfortable and feel less pain due to muscle stretching. However, this therapy cannot treat neck and shoulder pain caused by muscle imbalance or physical damage. Treatment should be done by adjusting the musculoskeletal system, changing bad posture habits and doing simple exercises at home.

Dr. Calvin Q. Trinh recommends that you should go for a check-up to restore the balance of the muscles in the neck and shoulder area, and restore the physiological curve of the cervical and thoracic spine, in order to solve the root cause of the disease. When going for a massage to relax, you should not mention the issue of treatment or cure to the masseuse, and you should not ask them to do it too hard, leading to unpredictable risks.

Prevent disease by sitting in the correct posture, back straight, head straight, try to achieve 90-90-90 posture. When standing, the back and head should be on the same straight line. Do not lie with your head elevated, do not maintain a constant bending posture.