On Sunday, December 8, a young Thai pop singer named Ping Chayada sadly passed away at the age of 20. She had been experiencing pain in her neck and shoulders and sought help through massage therapy.
In her last message to her 22,000 followers, Ping explained that her first massage felt fine. However, after going back for more sessions, she started feeling much worse. After one massage where her neck was twisted, she had awful pain that made it hard to lie down. Ping loved massages and thought the pain was normal. After seeing a different therapist who pressed too hard, her condition got worse, causing swelling and bruising.
Eventually, Ping started to feel electric shocks in her fingers and noticed that her right arm was getting weak. She wrote, “I want to leave this as a lesson for anyone who really likes massage. I will recover. I’m in so much pain. I want to work now. But now I’m just waiting for the right time.”
Over the following weeks, Ping’s health got worse, leading to her hospitalization on November 6. She was diagnosed with septicemia (blood poisoning), which caused her death. The local health chief announced that an autopsy would reveal the exact cause. All seven massage therapists at the place where she received treatment were licensed, and an investigation is ongoing to ensure that they followed proper Thai massage techniques.
The Risks of Massage Therapy
While massages usually have very low risks, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says there have been rare cases of serious problems, like blood clots or nerve injuries. These are more likely with deep tissue massages or for older people.
Dr. Thiravat Hemachudha, an expert at Rangsit University, warned that neck massages could be dangerous and even lead to paralysis. He mentioned a study by 177 American neurologists, who found 55 patients aged 21 to 60 who became paralyzed after neck therapy. Dr. Thiravat explained that neck massages could affect blood flow to the brain and that he has treated patients who believed neck tilting would make their muscles stronger.
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