Doctors warn of spinal cord damage as ‘neck-hanging exercise’ trends among China youth

In a bid to replicate cervical traction therapy used in hospitals, a new trend called the “neck-hanging exercise” has emerged among young Chinese people.

Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote In an attempt to mimic cervical traction therapy used in hospitals, a new trend known as the “neck-hanging exercise” has emerged among young Chinese people.

The exercise involves people hanging by their head from trees to relieve cervical spondylosis.

According to the 2024 China Cervical Spine Health White Paper, more than 200 million people in China suffer from cervical spine disorders, with over 40 per cent of patients under the age of 30.

Groups of young people take part in organised sessions of neck hanging.

Photo: Weibo The new hanging trend has been gaining traction online, as increasing numbers of young people try it.

The practice was originally popular among older generations in China.

In many city parks, it is common to see elderly people hanging from trees in fitness areas, suspending their heads with ropes while their feet leave the ground, swaying back and forth like a pendulum.

Many believe that this mimics medical cervical traction therapy, helping to relieve neck pain and provide therapeutic benefits.

A woman in a surgical mask performs the controversial “therapy”.

Photo: Weibo A 57-year-old man surnamed Sun from Shenyang, Liaoning province, in northeastern China, said he had suffered from various cervical spine issues and claimed that a traction device he designed helped relieve his condition and ease neck and shoulder pain.

However, in a tragic incident in May 2024, another 57-year-old man, Yang Xu, in Chongqing, southwestern China died of suffocation while attempting the exercise.

Experts warn that the “neck-hanging exercise” is fundamentally different from professional cervical traction treatment.

Extreme exercise: An elderly man suspends himself from a tree in a park.

Photo: Weibo Proper cervical traction is performed under medical supervision, with precise control over angle, weight and duration.

The traction force is typically around 10 to 15 per cent of a person’s body weight and the patient remains stationary throughout the process, with adjustments made based on individual conditions.

In contrast, this so-called neck-hanging exercise often involves suspending the entire body weight from the neck, accompanied by swinging or twisting movements, which can easily cause sudden cervical dislocation or even fractures.

Shen Ya, a senior thera

原文链接: 南华早报