It might not seem like a big deal at first glance – but making one wrong move could have very serious consequences
Millions of people around the world have invested in at-home massage guns. They can be great tools for relieving pain and tension in our muscles.
But, several experts have spoken out after a viral video resurfaced on TikTok pleading with people to avoid one body part at all costs – or risk ending up in the hospital. A woman had filmed herself after being given the stern warning from her doctor, she said she was told: “Don’t you dare, ever, use a massage gun on your neck.”
Taking over, with some reasons behind why, Dr Joe said: “Using a massage gun on your neck is particularly risky due to the proximity of critical arteries, including the carotid and vertebral arteries. These arteries supply vital blood flow to the brain, and the intense vibrations from a massage gun can potentially lead to dissection or damage of these vessels.
“Such injuries can significantly increase the risk of stroke. Therefore, it’s crucial to avoid using percussion therapy devices on the neck area to prevent any potential vascular injuries.”
Another clip, made by neurosurgeon @ladyspinedoc, explained that there are safe ways to provide massage relief around the neck. She explained the sides of our necks will have “no benefit from massage” and could lead to serious conditions like a stroke if blood supply lines are compromised.
She added: “When you have tension in the muscles of your neck, it’s always going to be these [holding just below the back of her neck] posterior muscles. This includes the trapezius and various other smaller muscles that help support the spine.
“Applying the gun directly on these muscles is generally pretty safe. You want to use the opposite arm [to massage] because, if you use the same arm, you’re actually tensing up those muscles you’re trying to massage meaning you’re not gonna accomplish much.”.
Neck pain is, however, a very common problem worldwide. In the UK, between 40 and 70% of people will experience this at some point in their lives.
Most neck pain is temporary and often goes away after a few weeks. People are advised to take pain relief medicine like paracetamol or ibuprofen as well as use heat or cold packs on your neck for surface-level relief.
