Rhabdomyolysis After the Use of Percussion Massage Gun: A Case Report.
Jian Chen, Fan Zhang, Haizhu Chen and 1 others
PMID 33156927WHAT IT FOUND
A 25-year-old woman developed severe rhabdomyolysis and muscle bruising after using a percussion massage gun on her thighs following cycling.
She recovered with hospital treatment, but this single case shows the device can cause serious muscle damage, especially if used without medical supervision.
Key findings
01The patient developed severe rhabdomyolysis with undetectably high creatine kinase and dark urine after percussive massage on her thighs following exercise.
02Trauma from the percussion gun is suspected as the dominant cause, as other common causes like heat stroke, drugs, and infections were ruled out.
03The patient recovered fully with aggressive fluid resuscitation and monitoring, with no renal or hepatic failure.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
This is a single case report, so it cannot establish causality or incidence. It is unknown whether the massage gun was used according to product instructions. The patient had untreated iron deficiency anemia, which may have contributed to her susceptibility, though the link is uncertain. No long-term follow-up data beyond one year is provided.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the Li Ka Shing Foundation Cross-Disciplinary Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume percussion massage guns are safe simply because they are popular or marketed for recovery. This case shows they can cause severe muscle breakdown, especially when used on exercised muscles without professional oversight.