Acute Radial Neuropathy at the Spiral Groove Following Massage: A Case Presentation
Four articles on PainSci cite Hsu 2017: 1. The Complete Guide to Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain 2. The Complete Guide to Neck Pain & Cricks 3. Can Massage Damage Nerves? 4. Massage Therapy Side Effects
PainSci notes on Hsu 2017:
original abstract †Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.
Massage-related nerve injury is an uncommon, rarely reported complication. We report an unusual case of radial nerve neuropathy at the spiral groove in a 58-year-old woman that resulted from a single episode of deep tissue massage. Although the spiral groove is known as the most common site implicated in radial nerve neuropathy, to our knowledge, there have not previously been any reports of massage-related spiral groove radial nerve neuropathy. Electrodiagnostic and ultrasound examinations were used to localize the nerve lesion at the spiral groove and also to provide prognostic evaluation. Serial follow-ups demonstrated concomitant improvement in clinical symptoms and electrodiagnostic parameters. A near-total recovery was achieved after 6 months. This case presentation aims to increase awareness and early recognition of massage-related nerve injuries.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: To be determined.
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