A Harmless Neck Massage Could Cause Stroke!

How many times have we gone to a salon for a haircut or to a parlour for a beauty treatment and received a complimentary head and neck massage?

What if I told you a harmless neck massage could cause stroke? Sounds scary, right? It should.

Every day, people seek relief from neck pain, tension, or headaches with massages or spinal adjustments. What most don’t know is that these seemingly routine practices can sometimes come with silent risks. And in rare cases, they may even lead to life-threatening consequences.

A harmless neck massage could cause stroke by affecting critical blood vessels that supply your brain. While these incidents are rare, they do happen, and knowing the signs could save your life.

In this blog, we’ll explore how this can happen, who is most at risk, symptoms to watch for, and how you can enjoy safe treatment without fear.

Can a Simple Neck Massage Be Dangerous?

It might seem like harmless relief, but there’s more beneath the surface. Take the case of Katie May, a healthy young model who died after a neck adjustment. She suffered a vertebral artery dissection, a tear in one of the arteries that feeds blood to the brain, which later caused a stroke.

A harmless neck massage could cause stroke if it puts pressure on or twists the vertebral arteries located on either side of your spine. This isn’t about fear. It’s about making informed choices.

This can happen to anyone, not just those with known health issues. And that’s why this topic deserves attention.

Brain and Stroke

Our brain is by far the most important organ of the body and that is probably a good reason that God decided to keep it at the top, well protected on all sides by a strong skull. However smart the guy upstairs may have been, he had to find a way to connect the brain to the body and that’s where the whole problem started.

The brain communicates with the whole body as the nerve fibers descend down through the neck and then spread all over. The blood supply to the brain also comes up from the neck in the form of four big tubes, two in the front and two at the back. Neck thus is kind of important. As these blood vessels travel north to the brain they are vulnerable to injury and damage. Any vigorous neck movement that pulls the neck backward or pushes it forward can injure the blood vessels. Injury to the blood vessel is known as dissection in medical terms and can lead to the devastating paralytic attack or brain attack.

You will be surprised to know that even though it may seem unlikely, we are subjected to such movements on a daily basis. A massage therapist, a chiropractor, a beauty therapist, a barber, or anyone who has their hands on your neck can literally kill you (no pun intended). Neurology literature is filled with such case reports where neck manipulation or wrong positioning of the neck has led to injury to the blood vessels leading to a stroke or paralytic brain attack. Terms like “barber chair stroke” or “beauty parlor stroke” have been coined for the same reason. As the blood vessel gets injured, the blood supply to the brain may get blocked or reduced, leading to neurological deficits like paralysis.

Who is at Risk?

Anyone can experience complications, but some people have higher risk factors.

Hidden Medical Conditions That Can Make You Vulnerable

You might be walking around with these risks and not even know it:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos
• Migraine history
• Narrow blood vessels
• Blood clotting disorders

These conditions weaken the artery walls or increase clotting.

Lifestyle Factors That May Increase the Danger

Even if you’re healthy, certain habits raise the stakes:

• Smoking
• Use of oral contraceptives
• High-stress lifestyle
• Dehydration
• Poor posture or previous neck injuries

A harmless neck massage could cause stroke in someone who checks even a few of these boxes.

How to Stay Safe During Neck Treatments?

The goal isn’t to avoid neck massages forever. It’s about doing them safely.

Questions to Ask Your Therapist or Chiropractor

Before any session:

• “Have you treated clients with my health conditions before?”
• “Do you perform cervical manipulations?”
• “What safety steps do you follow during neck work?”

Transparency helps avoid risk.

Alternatives to Neck Manipulation

There are safer ways to get relief:

• Gentle neck stretches (not rotation)
• Trigger point therapy using fingers or tools
• Myofascial release (light sustained pressure)
• Heat therapy

These work without stressing your arteries.

How to Advocate for Your Health Without Panic

Speak up if you feel uncomfortable. Say no to high-pressure techniques.

If your therapist resists your concerns, that’s a red flag. Choose someone who listens and adapts to your needs.

A harmless neck massage could cause stroke only when risk factors are ignored or symptoms are dismissed.

Real-Life Cases: When a Massage Went Wrong

Here are a few real incidents that underscore the risk.

• Katie May (2016): Popular Instagram model. Died at 34 from a stroke after neck massage. Doctors confirmed her vertebral artery tore during a chiropractic adjustment.
• A 35-year old man (2021): Visited a local chiropractor for neck tightness. Had a stroke after neck massage, recovered after surgery.

Both cases may have been prevented with early symptom awareness or modified techniques.

The first step in making a change for good is the awareness of the situation. Now that you are aware of the danger, simple steps can prevent such disastrous outcomes. Just follow the precautions mentioned below and you should be safe and ready for a good relaxing massage (Don’t touch the neck).

• Avoid any vigorous movements or overextension of the neck.
• Any movement that creates pain should be avoided.
• Do not crack your neck or go for neck manipulation unless under the supervision of a well-qualified professional. Avoid it, if possible.
• Injury to a blood vessel causing neck pain may also lead to dizziness, vertigo, nausea, or vomiting. Do not ignore these symptoms—rush to the hospital.
• Avoid neck massages by unqualified staff.

To aid relaxation and ease muscle tension safely, consider using a Turbo Massage Gun or a Neck Massager.

• SUDDEN (symptoms start suddenly)
• SLURRED SPEECH ( speech is not clear, as if drunk)
• SIDE WEAK ( face, arm or leg or all three can get weak)
• SPINNING ( VERTIGO)
• SEVERE HEADACHE/NECK PAIN
• SECONDS ( note the time when the symptoms start and rush to the hospital)

ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS CAN BE PRESENT IN ANY COMBINATION. YOU DON’T NEED ALL SYMPTOMS TO DIAGNOSE STROKE.

• Sleep Strategies For Complex PTSD

• 5 Tips To Cope With Tragic Flashbacks

• The Effects Of Depression In Your Body