China's Extreme Fitness Trends Spark Severe Health Warnings

China's Extreme Fitness Trends Spark Severe Health Warnings A dangerous new fitness trend is spreading among young people in China. Doctors are warning it can cause severe spinal damage, while another case highlights the risks of excessive exercise on reproductive health. The activity, called "neck-hanging exercise," involves people suspending their full body weight by their head from tree branches. Participants aim to mimic professional cervical traction therapy, a medical treatment for neck pain [122710]. This trend follows a reported rise in cervical spine disorders. An official 2024 health report states over 200 million people in China suffer from such conditions. Notably, more than 40% of patients are under age 30 [122710]. Medical experts strongly warn against the practice. They state that unsupervised spinal traction can lead to permanent injury, including ligament damage, paralysis, and stroke. Professional therapy uses controlled, measured force applied by specialists [122710]. In a separate but related health incident, a 23-year-old woman in China has stopped menstruating after an intense exercise regimen caused rapid weight loss. Hospital tests revealed her female hormone levels were similar to those of a typical 50-year-old [46995]. Doctors diagnosed her with clear symptoms of kidney deficiency, a concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). They instructed her to stop all workouts immediately and prescribed significant amounts of TCM to recover [46995]. The "neck-hanging" trend continues to gain popularity online despite urgent medical warnings [122710]. Dangerous "Neck-Hanging" Trend Alarms Doctors in China Young Woman's Extreme Fitness Halts Her Periods