Oil massage can be fatal for you, AIIMS doctors reveal

Delhi's AIIMS has observed a rare case in which a 23-year-old lost his life after his mother gave him oil massage. The victim succumbed to injuries on his left ankle.

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The victim had injured his ankle while playing badminton last year. A slab of plaster of Paris was then used to keep his leg immobile, which led to the formation of a blood clot. The post-mortem report revealed that the clot, which was as big as 5X1cm, got dislocated from the veins of the legs and travelled all the way to the pulmonary artery which carries blood to lungs and right ventricle of the heart. It resulted in sudden death.

Getting blood clots in deep veins -- deep vein thrombosis -- post an ankle fracture is not unusual, but the complications in this condition leading to an instant death is pretty uncommon, said Dr Chittaranjan Behera, who conducted the post-mortem.

This unusual case was published in the Medico-Legal Journal. "In this case, the deceased's mother had massaged the leg to alleviate pain and was unaware of the complications. There was no advice recorded in the hospital by the doctors about the risks and dangers of a massage to this affected leg. This advice should have been provided," the journal quoted.

Massages have been known to act as a pain reliever, but if it's not done properly it could turn out to be extremely fatal, the AIIMS doctors explained.

"The youth's death should serve as a warning against massages by amateurs. Using forceful techniques and for prolonged periods in a patient with deep vein thrombosis can lead to fatal complications," said Dr Sudhir Gupta, professor and head of forensic medicine at AIIMS, as reported by TOI.