🌿 Folk Prescriptions

The New Year and Spring Festival are approaching, fueling demand for “showing love for parents’ health and longevity” through health massage devices. A salesperson claimed electronic massagers are “suitable for all ages,” unlike oral products that may have side effects, making them popular gifts for elders.
Are electronic massagers truly as safe as salespeople claim? Dr. Li Zebing, Chief Physician of the Rehabilitation Department at Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, says not entirely. He warns that improper use of massagers can worsen or trigger diseases. Elderly people must not overly rely on them nor treat them as medicines.
Reporters learned that electronic massagers typically use high-frequency mechanical vibrations to stimulate the body. Based on vibration mechanism, they fall into electromagnetic and electric types. Electric massagers have higher vibration frequency but weaker intensity, suitable for health massage and older users. Electromagnetic massagers have slower frequency but stronger intensity, better suited for sports massage and younger users.
Dr. Li explained that clinical cases of injuries or worsened conditions due to improper use of massage devices are common. He once treated an elderly patient whose lumbar vertebrae developed acute inflammation due to massager use, compressing the sciatic nerve and causing lower limb paralysis. Others experienced hidden spinal conditions triggered by the “jarring” and “knocking” from hard parts of the device, leading to soft tissue inflammation and facet joint misalignment.
Dr. Li advises the elderly: if any joint or tendon is in acute inflammation (red, swollen, hot, painful), avoid blind massage—this will worsen inflammation and may even cause periostitis. Do not use electronic massagers if you have boils or tumors, as surface stimulation dilates capillaries, increases local blood flow, potentially spreading the lesion and worsening the condition. Do not use massagers during early stages of fractures or joint dislocations, as muscle tension may worsen displacement. Early massage could hinder recovery. Those with skin diseases, infectious diseases, lymphadenitis, or blood disorders should use caution. Hypertensive and anemic patients must especially avoid massaging the carotid artery area on the neck, as it may accelerate blood flow and cause accidents.
Additionally, electronic massagers should not be used when elderly people are fasting, full, drunk, or after intense exercise, as this further speeds blood flow and increases gastric smooth muscle activity, potentially causing nausea, vomiting, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. First-time users should limit sessions to 10–15 minutes, gradually increasing to 30 minutes over time.