%0 Case Reports
%T Acute cervical radiculopathy after anterior scalene muscle massage: A case report.
%A Chung SJ
%A Soh Y
%J Medicine (Baltimore)
%V 102
%N 15
%D Apr 2023 14
%M 37058018
%F 1.817
%R 10.1097/MD.0000000000033560
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Deep tissue massage (DTM) is a form of therapeutic massage therapy for muscles and is often used to treat musculoskeletal pain. This was an uncommon case of acute cervical radiculopathy that occurred after DTM.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>A 47-year-old Asian woman with low weight visited our clinic due to complaints of sudden unilateral paralysis, radiating pain in the left shoulder, and wrist weakness after undergoing a 3-minute DTM of the anterior scalene muscle. Electrodiagnostic examination indicated acute injuries in the left cervical 5 and 6 (cervical 5 and cervical 6) nerve roots.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Acute cervical radiculopathy associated with anterior scalene DTM.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>The patient underwent ultrasound-guided cervical 5 and cervical 6 selective nerve root block twice through the injection of 0.25% lidocaine and 20 mg dexamethasone and regularly participated in a biweekly rehabilitation program and a home exercise program.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>After a 6-month follow-up, the patient's shoulder and wrist strength had recovered, and the electrodiagnostic findings had improved.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>DTM of the anterior scalene muscle should be carefully performed to avoid cervical nerve root injury, particularly in underweight patients.