This Video Does Not Show Paralysis from a Salon Neck Massage! However, Staged or Not, the Underlying Risk Is Real

Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel

A video showing a barber giving a customer a neck massage, twisting their neck, and the customer then appearing to shake and become paralyzed, has been circulating on social media as if it were a real incident. The footage is dramatic enough to alarm anyone who has had a neck massage at a salon. Let us look at the video closely.

Social Media Posts :

Facebook

We investigated whether this video shows a real incident.

Fact-Check :

To verify whether the video genuinely shows someone becoming paralyzed after a barber twisted their neck, we ran key frames from the circulating clip through a reverse image search. We found the same video had been uploaded to a YouTube channel in 2024. The full original video is below.

The Video’s Own Description Says It Is Staged

The description on that 2024 upload states that the video is a fictional scene created for awareness purposes. It explains that every scene was scripted and performed by actors, with the goal of educating the public about unsafe and dangerous neck-twisting practices at barber shops, which can contribute to nerve injuries and strokes.

Staged or Not, the Underlying Risk Is Real

Although this video was planned and acted, there is a genuine risk of injury when unqualified individuals at barber shops or salons forcefully twist a person’s neck.

Sudden, forceful neck twisting can tear one of the major arteries carrying blood from the heart to the brain. This can lead to a blood clot, which may cause a stroke. More information is available here and here.

A 30-year-old man who received a neck massage at a barber shop in Bengaluru, India, suffered a severe stroke after his neck was twisted and was admitted to Aster RV Hospital. It took him nearly two months to recover. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Dr. Srikantha Swamy, Senior Consultant Neurologist at Aster RV Hospital, said forcefully twisting the neck using unscientific techniques can tear blood vessels and lead to life-threatening conditions such as stroke.

Similar cases have been reported from hospitals in Ballari, Karnataka, and Delhi, where people suffered neck nerve injuries and strokes after barber shop neck massages, with some requiring ventilator support. More information is available here.

Join us to learn more about our fact-check investigations.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google News | TikTok

Conclusion :

Our investigation confirms that the video circulating on social media, claiming a customer became paralyzed during a neck massage at a salon, is misleading. The footage is a staged production from 2024, created specifically to raise public awareness, not a record of a real incident.

However, neck massages performed by unqualified individuals can genuinely increase the risk of stroke and paralysis. The public is advised to avoid forceful or unscientific neck-twisting practices at barber shops and salons.