Massaging the neck can cause cerebral infarction! Can you still enjoy massage?

Audit expert: Yin Tielun

Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Neurology, Airport Branch, Peking University Third Hospital

According to news reports, a young woman suffered a stroke (ischemic stroke) after a massage. After a doctor's examination, the patient's right vertebral artery was very narrow, the left vertebral artery was blocked, and the blood vessels in her neck were almost the same as those of a 70-year-old man. Fortunately, after timely rescue and follow-up treatment by the hospital, the patient was able to recover and be discharged. According to relevant doctors, patients with cerebral infarction are getting younger and younger. Why is this?

Source: China Newsweek

1

Does cerebral infarction only occur in the elderly?

Cerebral infarction, also known as ischemic stroke, has many causes, mainly occlusion of blood vessels supplying brain tissue, which causes brain cell necrosis due to blood circulation disorders, ischemia, hypoxia, etc. Clinically, the symptoms of cerebral infarction are relatively complex. In mild cases, there may be almost no symptoms, but most of the symptoms are dizziness, nausea, difficulty in limb movement, difficulty in speech, etc. In severe cases, paralysis or acute coma may occur, and even life-threatening.

Most patients with cerebral infarction are elderly people, with an average age of around 60 years old. However, in recent years, more and more young people and even children may suffer from cerebral infarction. Perhaps these patients will wonder: I am so young, I don’t have high blood pressure or diabetes, why do I get this disease?

In fact, this is inseparable from our bad living habits. Staying up late for a long time, smoking and drinking, lack of exercise, high-salt and high-fat diet, etc. may all be the cause of the disease . There are also rare immune factors, genetic factors, infection factors and other causes.

Source: pixabay

2

Why is massaging the neck likely to cause cerebral infarction?

The woman in the news had a cerebral infarction due to a neck massage, so what is the relationship between massage and cerebral infarction? Massage is a common treatment method in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly used to treat neck, shoulder, waist and leg pain, dredge muscles and bones, regulate qi and activate blood circulation, etc. However, there are many acupuncture points in our body, and massage cannot be performed casually .

If the masseur's technique is incorrect or he performs massage without understanding the patient's condition, it is very likely to cause damage to the patient's vertebral artery. In severe cases, symptoms such as a sudden drop in blood pressure and insufficient blood supply to the brain may occur.

Source: pixabay

So theoretically, cervical massage may cause cerebral infarction. Our blood vessel lining is very fragile. When inappropriate external force acts on the head and neck, the carotid artery is easily damaged, leading to damage to the vascular lining, blood clots between the blood vessel walls, blockage of the lumen and even detachment of blood clots, which in turn leads to cerebral infarction .

Milder symptoms include dizziness, nausea, decreased limb movement and language function, and severe cases may lead to coma or even life-threatening, but such cases are very rare in clinical practice. Of course, it may also be related to the patient's own factors such as vascular malformations.

Source: pixabay

3

Prevention of cerebral infarction

The focus of cerebral infarction is not on treatment, but on prevention . Effective preventive measures can help us reduce the chance of cerebral infarction:

We should eliminate bad habits, especially quit smoking and drinking . Nicotine, a harmful substance in tobacco, can damage our blood vessel walls, while long-term drinking can lead to high blood pressure.

Control your weight, develop good eating habits, and eat more vegetables, fruits, and other foods rich in calcium and vitamins.

Be good at adjusting and enriching spiritual life, maintaining a happy mood, avoiding tension, excitement and various negative emotions.

Drinking tea in moderation, as tea contains substances such as catecholamines and theophylline, can increase the toughness of blood vessels and improve blood circulation.

Increasing physical exercise can help improve our body's resistance, improve heart function and blood circulation, but it should be noted that strenuous and excessive exercise are not recommended. Relatively gentle aerobic exercise is recommended, such as slow walking, Tai Chi, etc.

Source: Pixabay

For people with underlying diseases, they should strictly follow the doctor's advice and develop good living and eating habits: patients with hypertension should take medication on time every day, avoid stopping medication suddenly, monitor blood pressure daily to keep it within the normal range; patients with diabetes should pay more attention to their diet, strictly control sugar, and adhere to treatment; patients with hyperlipidemia should undergo lipid-lowering treatment, reduce the intake of cholesterol and fat, monitor blood lipids regularly, and adhere to physical exercise.

For symptoms such as sudden headache, dizziness, memory loss, slow reaction, blurred vision, difficulty speaking, numbness and weakness of the limbs, you should go to the hospital in time and follow the doctor's instructions for further examination and treatment.

If a family member or someone close to you unfortunately suffers from a cerebral infarction, you should call 120 immediately to ensure that the patient can quickly and safely get to a nearby hospital for timely treatment . The golden time for cerebral infarction is 3-4.5 hours . The earlier you start treatment, the better the effect will be.

During this period, let the patient lie flat, undress the patient to help him breathe smoothly, and avoid turning the patient's head back and forth . Remember: time is life!