A 36-year-old woman was found to have a small crack in her spine and cerebrospinal fluid leakage when she visited a doctor with a headache after a neck massage.
The woman, who went for a neck massage once every two weeks, developed a severe headache after one session, and although she took painkillers, the condition worsened until she was in continuous pain unless she laid down, so she sought medical treatment and underwent magnetic resonance imaging.
Weng Hsing-yu (翁興裕), a physician at Taipei Municipal Wan Fang Hospital’s Department of Neurology, cited the case to highlight the potential dangers of incorrect massage technique.
“If a masseur pushes on the spine too hard, the membrane receives a a lot of pressure, and if it involves a strong bending or pressing, damage can ensue,” Weng said.
The brain and spine are a closed system, so if cerebrospinal fluid leaks from a crack, the internal pressure changes, causing headaches, Weng said, adding that the process is “similar to poking a hole in a sealed beverage package, causing the fluid to drip out and the internal pressure to drop.”
The woman was hospitalized three times before she recovered from the injury.
Lian Li-ming (連立明), a physician at Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital’s Neurology Department, said that cerebrospinal fluid flows through the brain, and when it leaks, it can cause discomfort when standing or walking, so people should take note if they suffer from a headache when in an upright position, but the pain eases when they lie down.
There are many nerves and ligaments near the neck, he said, adding that cerebrospinal fluid leakage most often occurs at the base of the neck.
Lian urged people to only receive massages from practitioners with medical backgrounds, because incorrect techniques can cause injury, paralysis or strokes.
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