Health Update: Shiatsu and shingles

LOVERS of massage should beware - too rough a session could cause a painful attack of shingles, according to doctors from the University of Hawaii. They describe in the Lancet the case of a woman who had a vigorous session of shiatsu massage and three days later developed chest pains and a skin rash. She was found to be infected with the virus that causes shingles. The authors suggest that the massage caused inflammation to the nerves supplying the skin - and this triggered the attack.