Man Suffers Stroke After Barber's Massage Twists Neck; Here's What Caused It - Times Now

[Ashima Sharda Mahindra]

A 30-year-old man was left battling for life after a massage session from a local barber led to a life-threatening stroke. The man, from Ballari in Karnataka suffered a stroke after the barber, who was untrained, twisted his neck causing a tear in his carotid artery, and cutting off blood flow to the brain.

News reports say the man, after the sharp neck manipulation felt intense pain, but he initially ignored it. However, within two hours, he started losing his ability to speak and felt weakness in the left side of his body. And when the discomfort continued, the man was rushed to a hospital where doctors confirmed that the forceful twisting triggered the stroke.

According to doctors, he was administered anticoagulants or blood thinners to prevent further blockage.

How does a carotid artery stroke differ from a regular stroke?​

According to experts, a dissection-related stroke is completely different from a regular stroke. Dissection-related strokes have a slow onset over hours or days, and symptoms include:

• Headache
• Pain in your neck and face
• Visual changes
• Weakness on one side of the body
• However, regular strokes have sudden symptoms, which include:
• Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg
• Sudden confusion
• Trouble speaking
• Sudden trouble seeing

Doctors say dissection-related strokes - a common cause of stroke in young and middle-aged adults - are usually caused by a tear in the inner layer of an artery wall that allows blood to separate the layers and bulge the artery wall. It leads to a stoppage of blood flow through the artery. On the other hand, regular strokes are caused due to various reasons, which include age, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, smoking, metabolic syndrome, and atrial fibrillation.
Ramkumar was administered anticoagulants or blood thinners to prevent further blockage and stop it from worsening. The patient then returned to his hometown, taking nearly two months to recover fully.

The doctor warned that sudden and improper neck movements can have devastating consequences. In this case, the forceful twist caused a tear in the blood vessel wall, leading to clot formation and reduced blood flow to the brain, resulting in a stroke. Even though dissections often heal on their own, medical therapies – which include antiplatelet therapy and anticoagulant medications – help reduce the risk of blood clots.

Are massages dangerous?​

Doctors say untrained people should be giving massages as rapid, and quick neck twists can lead to the tearing of blood vessels. Apart from stroke, such manipulation can also lead to serious consequences like paralysis, or even death if not properly diagnosed or treated.

Ways to prevent carotid artery dissection​

Doctors say if you are at risk of carotid artery dissection, you can optimize your health by:

• Avoiding prolonged extreme neck positions
• Avoiding rapid head and neck movements
• Avoiding heavy weightlifting
• Eating a heart-healthy diet with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Exercising regularly
• Managing blood pressure levels
• Quitting smoking and drinking

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