Oil massage to ease pain proved fatal

The traditional myth stating that oil massage can cure pains has turned fatal for a 23-year-old man who died after his mother massaged his injured leg.

The deceased had developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) following an ankle injury while playing badminton. To ease the pain, his mother massaged his leg which caused his death.

According to the medical terminology, DVT is a serious condition that occurs when a blood clot is formed in a vein located deep inside human's body. Doctors stated that the formation of a blood clot in the deeply rooted veins following an ankle fracture is not uncommon but people should be cautious about providing massages in such cases.

The case of the man's death, which has been published in the latest edition of the Medico-Legal Journal, came to light during a post-mortem carried out by AIIMS doctors.

The autopsy confirmed that the clot, measuring 5X1 cm, got dislodged due to the massage and travelled to the lungs causing an obstruction and leading to instant death.

The deceased, a resident of Delhi, had injured his left ankle while playing badminton on September 15, 2016, after which a cast was placed to immobilise the leg.

On October 17, the cast was removed and the patient was able to walk normally.

Later, he complained of pain and swelling following which tests were carried out which revealed the presence of a blood clot.

"When the pain recurred, his mother massaged his left calf muscles. After that he had severe chest pain, breathlessness and collapsed," said Chittaranjan Behera, Associate Professor of Forensic Medicine at AIIMS. "CPR was initiated but the patient could not be revived and was declared dead," he added.