‘I could barely stand’: Woman’s legs covered in dark bruises after treatment that involved repeated tapping
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.
The centre later apologised and offered to provide free follow-up treatments to aid in her recovery.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident took place at around 5pm on Aug 13 at a wellness centre near Block 254A Serangoon Central Drive.
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.
She decided to try a moxibustion treatment — a traditional medicine therapy which involves burning dried mugwort plants on or near acupuncture points on the body — at the wellness centre, paying a promotional price of $99.
After the session, a staff member recommended that she try pai sha to complement the earlier treatment.
“I 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,” said Wu.
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.
Wu likened her pai sha experience to being in a period drama — lying face down on a bed as she was “subjected to punishment”.
The pai sha treatment lasted about 10 minutes.
“My 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,” she said.
Customer discovers bruising on legs
After returning home, Wu was shocked to discover large areas of dark purple bruising on her legs.
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.
The wellness centre’s 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.
“We 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.”
Jin said that after learning of Wu’s experience, she communicated with her directly and offered solutions to remedy the situation.
When interviewed on Aug 17, four days after the incident, the bruises on Wu’s legs had still not faded.
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.
TCM physician: More bruising does not mean treatment is more effective
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.
“Some people may develop red or purplish-red marks on the skin after the treatment,” she explained.
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.
“Proper treatment should take into account an individual’s constitution, age, skin and physical condition. The intensity and duration should be adjusted accordingly, while the skin’s reaction should also be monitored.”
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.
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.
Woman charged additional $80 for herbal treatment
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.
“She said to give it a try, so I assumed that, like the pai sha treatment, it was a free trial.”
It was only when she was paying that Wu realised she had been charged an additional $80 for the herbal treatment.
Together with the $99 moxibustion treatment and an $80 herbal foot soak, she paid a total of $259.
Jin told Shin Min that the price had been explained to Wu before the herbal treatment was applied, but acknowledged that misunderstandings can occur.
“She did not raise any objections when paying the bill and simply paid by card and left, which made me think she accepted the charge,” Jin added.
In light of Wu’s unpleasant experience, Jin said the centre was willing to refund her the $80 herbal treatment fee.
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