A woman who visited a wellness centre to relieve years of shoulder and neck pain was shocked when a treatment that involved repeated tappings left her with extensive bruising on her legs.<\/p>\n
The centre later apologised and offered to provide free follow-up treatments to aid in her recovery.<\/p>\n
According to Shin Min Daily News<\/a>, the incident took place at around 5pm on Aug 13 at a wellness centre near Block 254A Serangoon Central Drive.<\/p>\n Ms Wu (transliterated), a 46-year-old self-employed woman, told the Chinese daily that she had been suffering from persistent shoulder and neck pain for years.<\/p>\n She decided to try a moxibustion treatment \u2014 a traditional medicine therapy which involves burning dried mugwort plants on or near acupuncture points on the body \u2014 at the wellness centre, paying a promotional price of $99.<\/p>\n After the session, a staff member recommended that she try pai sha to complement the earlier treatment.<\/p>\n \u201cI had never tried the treatment before and had no idea what pai sha was. They did not explain it to me and simply took a wooden board and started tapping my legs,\u201d said Wu.<\/p>\n Closely related to the more well-known gua sha treatment, pai sha involves rhythmic, repetitive tapping of the body using specialised tools. Gua sha, on the other hand, involves scraping or pressing the skin with a smooth-edged tool. Both techniques are commonly used to promote circulation and relieve muscle tension.<\/p>\n Wu likened her pai sha experience to being in a period drama \u2014 lying face down on a bed as she was \u201csubjected to punishment\u201d.<\/p>\n The pai sha treatment lasted about 10 minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cMy legs were painful after the treatment and I could not exert strength at all. I could barely stand. If I had known this would happen, I definitely would not have agreed to the treatment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n After returning home, Wu was shocked to discover large areas of dark purple bruising<\/a> on her legs.<\/p>\n The pain made it difficult for her to shower and bend her legs, and she had to wear long trousers to cover the bruises despite the hot weather.<\/p>\n The wellness centre\u2019s 45-year-old manager, Ms Jin, told Shin Min that she had apologised to Wu several times after the incident and offered to provide free follow-up treatments to help her recover.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did not explain it to her beforehand, but we did explain the process during the pai sha treatment and told her that it was meant to help expel stagnant blood. As she did not indicate that she did not want the treatment, we continued.\u201d<\/p>\n Jin said that after learning of Wu\u2019s experience, she communicated with her directly and offered solutions to remedy the situation.<\/p>\n When interviewed on Aug 17, four days after the incident, the bruises on Wu\u2019s legs had still not faded.<\/p>\n She said she hoped her experience would serve as a reminder to the public to fully understand how any treatment or procedure is carried out before deciding whether to proceed.<\/p>\n Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician Chen Mei E told Shin Min Daily News that the treatment Wu received is an extension of traditional gua sha techniques, using moderate and repeated stimulation to relax muscles.<\/p>\n \u201cSome people may develop red or purplish-red marks on the skin after the treatment,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n Chen stressed that a treatment is not necessarily more effective simply because it is performed with greater force, for a longer duration, or causes more pain.<\/p>\n \u201cProper treatment should take into account an individual\u2019s constitution, age, skin and physical condition. The intensity and duration should be adjusted accordingly, while the skin\u2019s reaction should also be monitored.\u201d<\/p>\n She added that if the bruising is extensive, becomes increasingly pronounced, or is accompanied by pain and swelling, or if there is no significant improvement after one to two weeks, the person should stop receiving the treatment and seek an examination from an experienced physician.<\/p>\n She also warned that people with platelet or blood-clotting disorders, those taking anticoagulant medication, and those with skin conditions or varicose veins may not be suitable for such treatments.<\/p>\n Wu said that during the treatment, the therapist also suggested applying herbal medicine to her back. In response, Wu said she specifically asked about the price before agreeing to have it applied.<\/p>\n \u201cShe said to give it a try, so I assumed that, like the pai sha treatment, it was a free trial.\u201d<\/p>\n It was only when she was paying that Wu realised she had been charged<\/a> an additional $80 for the herbal treatment.<\/p>\n Together with the $99 moxibustion treatment and an $80 herbal foot soak, she paid a total of $259.<\/p>\n Jin told Shin Min that the price had been explained to Wu before the herbal treatment was applied, but acknowledged that misunderstandings can occur.<\/p>\n \u201cShe did not raise any objections when paying the bill and simply paid by card and left, which made me think she accepted the charge,\u201d Jin added.<\/p>\n In light of Wu\u2019s unpleasant experience, Jin said the centre was willing to refund her the $80 herbal treatment fee.<\/p>\n Have something to say? 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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCustomer discovers bruising on legs<\/h2>\n
TCM physician: More bruising does not mean treatment is more effective<\/h2>\n
Woman charged additional $80 for herbal treatment<\/h2>\n
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