A warning has been issued about the hidden dangers of percussive massage guns, after a man used a massage gun directly on his eyes to relieve tiredness.
The patient, in his 20s, experienced flashing lights and floaters in his right eye for six days.
In a report in BMJ Case Reports, Dr Niamh O’Connell and Dr Ashraf Khan, both of the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh, Scotland, wrote that the student had bilateral retinal tears and dialysis after using a high-frequency percussive massage gun directly onto his eyes and around his orbit to relieve tiredness.1
The patient was treated successfully with barrier laser therapy.
The authors noted the case “underscores the need for cautious massage gun use, careful history taking in unexpected clinical scenarios, and clear manufacturer warnings against improper application”.
Reference
- O’Connell N, Khan A. Bilateral retinal tears and dialysis: a rare complication of percussive massage gun use. BMJ Case Rep 2026;19:e264566. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2024-264566.
