A Chinese man who frequently used a massage gun on his face and eyes had to undergo surgery after suffering lens dislocation and developing cataracts at the age of 42.

Mr. Luo, a fitness enthusiast from Wuhan, in Central China, purchased a battery-powered massage gun at the recommendation of a fitness instructor who told him it would work wonders on his tired muscles. After hitting the gym every two days, Luo was looking for a way to relax, and the massage gun proved incredibly effective. So much so that at one point, the 42-year-old man decided to use it on his eyes as well. Due to his busy work schedule, Luo’s eyes always felt tired and dry, so he thought that the massage gun would have the same effect on his eyes as it did on his muscles. He was wrong!

Photo: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

“I set the fascial gun to a low setting and used it on the acupuncture points around my eyes for five minutes at a time,” Mr Luo told doctors at Wuhan University’s Aier Eye Hospital.

At first, everything seemed fine. Mr Luo actually felt more relaxed after using the massage gun on his eyes, but after about a week, he noticed that his vision had become blurry. He panicked and went to the hospital where ophthalmologists diagnosed him with lens dislocation and cataracts. The man’s vision had deteriorated considerably in just a few days, and after disclosing his eye-relaxation method to the doctors, he learned that all the symptoms had been caused by the trauma he had subjected his eyes to.

 

Sun Ming, Deputy Chief Physician of the hospital’s cataract and presbyopia department, told Mr. Luo that the massage gun’s high-frequency vibrations were comparable to low-intensity rapid punches. He explained that the eyes are extremely sensitive to physical trauma and can easily suffer lens dislocation, turbidity, and even retinal detachment, all of which cause severe vision issues.

Mr Luo had to undergo laser-assisted surgery to repair the damage to his eyes, but his case is being presented as a cautionary tale for anyone looking to use a massage gun on their face.