The deaths of a Thai singer and a Singaporean tourist after visits to massage parlors in Thailand have prompted warnings from the country's doctors about the potentially fatal risk such treatments can pose. According to The independent, 20-year-old Thai singer Chayada Prao-hom died on Sunday in hospital in the northeastern city of Udon Thani. Her health has reportedly deteriorated after three massage sessions since October. Similarly, a 52-year-old Singaporean tourist also died after receiving a 45-minute oil massage at a salon in Phuket.
Ms. Chayada had undergone the massages to relieve shoulder pain, the outlet reported. In the days and weeks before her death, she posted details of the three massage sessions that left her bedridden and numbness spreading through her body. She reported that her condition continued to deteriorate with each session.
In November, she said she went to a salon for three sessions of “a neck twist” and another massage with a “heavy hand.” Fourteen days later she found herself paralyzed and unable to lift her right arm. “I want my story to be a lesson for those who enjoy being massaged. I have to recover. I already want to work,” Ms. Chayada wrote.
The hospital said the singer died of a blood infection and swelling of the brain. An investigation had been launched to determine whether her death was related to the treatments or underlying causes. Authorities confirmed that the salon and all masseuses were operating with the correct permits.
In a similar incident, Singaporean tourist Lee Mun Tuk died shortly after receiving an oil massage at a salon on Patong Beach, Phuket. Police said the tourist fell asleep during the procedure and after some time began to show symptoms of anxiety.
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It is not clear whether massages were the cause of the deaths. However, the incidents have led to warnings from experts against certain techniques used by masseuses.
“An experienced masseuse would not twist the client's neck as this is known to be a dangerous point,” says Dr. Chatpon Kongfeangfung, according to the South China Morning Mail. “I have warned people before: never let the masseuse twist your neck because that can be fatal,” the doctor added.
Professor Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, consultant to the College of Oriental Medicine at Rangsit University, also warned that twisting the neck or massaging the cervical spine could lead to paralysis. If done incorrectly, he said, they could “increase the risk of damage to the blood vessel walls that supply blood to the brain, especially the back, causing brain tissue to rupture and die, hemiplegia and paralysis.”
“The danger will increase as the head is turned, swayed or rotated. Repeating these activities for long periods of time will cause problems not only to the nerves but also to the blood vessels in the neck,” said Dr. Thiravat.
