Neck massage turns into nightmare for Punjab man after he suffers a stroke

(Representational image)

New Delhi: A Punjab man suffered a stroke during one of his many neck massages. Doctors say that his love for massages is probably what caused a blood clot in his brain.

The incident has been reported the BMJ Case Reports citing that the 'repeated' massages to be the 'trigger factor', said a report in the Daily Mail.

The 45-year-old unidentified man hails from Ludhiana, Punjab and revealed that he had two to four massages a week for 'relaxation purposes'.

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

While the patient had ‘no significant medical history’ he was mute, thereby prompting doctors to be concerned that he had suffered a stroke.

As per the report, tests revealed the patient suffered an anterior cerebral artery infarction. The major vessel transports blood to the frontal lobes.

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. The result is that there is 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 September this year, the incident of a Delhi man becoming paralysed after a neck massage at a barber shop was also reported.