Scottish Man Suffers Retinal Damage After Using Massage Gun on Eyes

A young man from Edinburgh, Scotland, experienced severe retinal injuries after using a percussive massage gun on his eyes for several weeks. The device, intended for muscle relief, caused retinal dialysis and multiple tears in both eyes.

Doctors Niamh O’Connell and Ashraf Khan treated the patient at an eye center in Edinburgh, where they found extensive damage. His right eye exhibited multiple retinal tears, widespread bruising, and retinal dialysis, while the left eye had significant bruising and six small horseshoe-shaped tears.

The patient had no history of eye disorders or trauma and wore glasses for short-sightedness, with prescriptions of −2.00 in the right eye and −2.25 in the left. These factors were unrelated to the retinal damage observed.

When questioned about any unusual incidents involving his eyes, the man revealed he had been applying a percussive massage gun directly around and on both eyes weekly for about three months. He only noticed symptoms such as floaters and flashing lights in his right eye days before seeking medical attention.

Given the absence of other risk factors for retinal pathology, the doctors attributed the serious eye trauma to the use of the massage gun. They noted this as the first documented case of retinal dialysis accompanied by multiple bilateral retinal tears linked to such device use.

The patient reportedly used the massage gun to alleviate eye tiredness, but the rapid percussive action compressed his eyeballs, causing them to deform and resulting in retinal dialysis.

Six months following diagnosis, his ocular condition remained stable, with no progression of retinal dialysis or development of cataracts.

This case adds to previous reports of massage gun misuse causing serious eye damage. A few years prior, a 42-year-old man from China suffered cataracts and lens dislocation after using a massage gun on his eyes.