Massage is one of the traditional Chinese medicine therapies that has been passed down to the present day. There are still many people who use massage for health maintenance. However, when using massage for health, we should pay attention to the massage techniques. If the techniques are incorrect, it may bring unexpected troubles to your life. Therefore, when getting a massage, we should seek the help of professionals.
Random massage can cause paralysis
During haircuts, sauna sessions, and beauty treatments, it is common for service staff to massage the neck, tap the back, and relax the whole body. Health massage has become a common measure for people to relax, prevent and treat diseases. In order to meet this demand, many bathing centers, gyms, beauty salons, and other places have put up signs for "health massage". However, a survey conducted by reporters on some small and medium-sized beauty institutions and hair salons found that many people don't even know about the Renzhong acupoint and Zusanli acupoint, let alone how to massage correctly. Medical experts believe that massage itself is an effective traditional therapeutic method, but letting untrained individuals randomly massage can pose various risks. It can cause minor injuries to the skin and soft tissues, or even severe injuries to the nerves, bones, resulting in paralysis or even death. If consumers need therapeutic massage, they should choose formal institutions.
Improper massage can cause paralysis
Mr. Zhao, who lives in Nanjing, was diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation last year. He went to major hospitals in Nanjing and Shanghai for examinations, and doctors believed that he needed surgery. Fearing surgery, he searched for non-surgical remedies everywhere. When he heard that a local health massage institution could treat his illness without surgery, Mr. Zhao went there every day for tuina and massage. At first, he felt that his back pain had disappeared, so he stopped seeking medical treatment. Three months later, he was unable to get up from the bed.
Zhang Jianming, Deputy Dean and Director of the Department of Orthopedics at Shanghai Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, told reporters that Mr. Zhao eventually had to undergo surgery in Shanghai, but he was left with the sequelae of lower limb paralysis and urinary incontinence. The untrained "doctors" performed forceful tuina on him, and his intervertebral discs were already in a pathological state. The forceful manipulation worsened the condition, causing the discs to rupture and compress the spinal cord and cauda equina, leading to paralysis.
Improper back stepping can injure the spine
Miss Song is a consultant at a talent agency in the city. Her long-term office work has caused her to suffer from cervical spondylosis. When she was undergoing weight loss at a private weight loss center, the staff recommended her a health massage that could prevent and treat cervical spondylosis. After the massage, she felt much more comfortable in her neck, and the masseuse said that if she received a back stepping treatment, the effect would be even better.
Miss Song half-laid on the massage bed, and a young girl wearing soft-soled sports shoes stepped on her back. At first, she felt relatively relaxed. However, the girl's force became heavier and heavier, and she endured the pain. After returning home, she felt a slight soreness in her spine for several days. When she went to the hospital for a check-up, it was found that the uneven force applied by the back stepper had injured her spine.
The Rehabilitation Center of a Shanghai hospital pointed out that tuina massage is a common method for treating cervical spondylosis, but it is not suitable for every cervical spondylosis patient. For example, patients with spinal cord-type cervical spondylosis already have a smaller spinal canal, causing compression of the spinal cord. If the massage technique is improper, it can cause impact on the spinal cord, which can worsen the damage to the cervical spine.
Back stepping also applies force to the bones, joints, and soft tissues, making it more dangerous and likely to cause damage to the nerves, bones, and soft tissues. Many massage and back stepping practitioners have not received professional training, and some only have basic knowledge. If someone wishes to use massage or back stepping to treat a certain disease, it is better to go to a professional medical rehabilitation institution and choose a service provider with professional certificates and knowledge.
Some massage therapists work without certification
It is understood that massage is currently divided into two types. One is medical massage, which belongs to medical treatment and is mainly conducted in hospitals. Massage therapists must have certain medical qualifications and obtain a practicing physician license through examinations. The other type is health massage provided by various massage parlors, hotels, beauty salons, and other places, which belongs to social services.
