Doctors reported on a single case of a 50-year-old man in good health who developed sudden, severe abdominal pain four hours after receiving a deep tissue massage for low back pain. The massage was performed by an unlicensed therapist. A CT scan showed that a small artery supplying part of his right kidney was blocked, leading to a small area of tissue damage (infarction). He was successfully treated with blood-thinning medication and his symptoms gradually improved.
This case suggests that deep tissue massage, particularly when performed by an unlicensed practitioner, has the potential to cause serious injury by damaging blood vessels. The proposed mechanism is that direct pressure from the massage may have injured the artery leading to the kidney. The patient experienced acute kidney injury and significant pain as a result.
It is crucial to understand that this is only one reported case. It cannot tell us how often this might happen or if it is a risk with massages from licensed professionals. The report serves as an important reminder that any new, severe pain after a massage should be evaluated promptly by a doctor. Readers should see this as a note of caution about potential rare risks, not as evidence that massage is generally unsafe.