FDA: ShoulderFlex Massager has 'life-threatening' dangers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against a personal neck massaging device yesterday. The ShoulderFlex Massager, say federal regulators, can be lethal.

The ShoulderFlex Massager, distributed by King International in Beaverton, Or., sits beneath the neck of a prone user and features a rotating bar with removable, adjustable massage "fingers." However, if the rotating parts are set incorrectly, the fingers can snag and pull a person's hair or loose clothing, causing injury and possible strangulation.

In one case, reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a user was strangled to death because the ShoulderFlex Massager snagged the person's necklace during use.

The FDA warns that owners should immediate discontinue use of the massagers. The device components—fingers and power supply—should be disposed of separately so the massager cannot be reassembled and used.

Life-Threatening Injuries Associated with the ShoulderFlex Massager [FDA]

—Paul Eng