Consequences of neck manipulation performed by a non-professional

Abstract

Study design: Case report. Objective: Documentation of complication of neck manipulation by an untrained person. Setting: Tertiary care referral teaching hospital at Lucknow, India. Methods: Clinical evaluation, plain radiography of cervical spine, spinal MRI. Results: A 30-year-old man who fainted after neck manipulation by a barber and developed spinal cord and brainstem dysfunction. His MRI revealed an extramedullary, intradural dumbbell shaped mass on the right side at C1 and C2 level compressing the spinal cord. Conclusion: Public awareness should be increased about the danger of neck manipulation by an untrained person especially in the communities where it is commonly practiced.