Massage therapy

I'm gonna be contraversial and give you an opinion...

Last monday (2 mondays ago) there was a story on Today Tonight about this girl named Asha who had a stroke which she and her family are blaming on a massage she received the week before. I must admit, I have compassion but the way her story was done... it really infuriates me.

I've had a few conversations with people since, especially massage therapists as it seems to put their profession in bad light. Basically this is my understanding and my opinion on the matter but i think it's a professional opinion.

I'll outline the story as told on Today Tonight (which is a dodgy show anyway). Basically Asha had a 15 min corporate massage at work by a qualified massage therapist. The massage was on Thursday. She was a little sore after the massage. Through the course of the weekend she began to exhibit neurological symptoms such as sluggishness, dizziness. On Monday she had a stroke and remains hospitalised because of the neurological damage.

Today Tonight cited that the doctor said the stroke was caused by pressure on blood vessels supplying the brain that were damaged by the massage. However, the doctor refused to make any comment on camera... how dodgy is that... i mean if you're gonna say something then support it with a specialist agreeing with it.

I have major problems about how the situation is being handled... If they are blaming the massage therapist, then why are they not sueing him? They have set up a website that asks for donations to help. While admirable, i cant help feeling that the whole today tonight thing was just more publicity and all they're really after is money.

Vertebral artery dissection is probably a 1 in a billion for a massage therapist (risk factor for a chiropractic manipulation for causing a CVA (stroke) is like 1 in 25million.) Chances are that Asha would have had her CVA whilst looking up at the sky or sitting in a hairdresser's chair. Just very unlucky for the massage therapist... still the massage was thur and the stroke was monday...

I feel for Asha but i dont really agree with the parents methods of raising money. I dont feel inclined to donate as i just feel they are slagging the massage therapist, pointing fingers and scare mongering.