Chinese are hanging themselves from trees as part of a viral trend. Here's what is happening

Young Chinese are hanging themselves from their necks in a new trend made to mimic cervical traction therapy used in hospitals. It is a supposed exercise that they are using to get relief from cervical spondylosis. In it, the person hangs by their head from trees. The trend has gone viral, and SCMP reported that many people are trying it. In China, the elderly can be seen hanging from trees with their heads suspended with ropes as their feet levitate above the ground and they swing like a pendulum. Many believe that this is similar to cervical traction therapy and can relieve neck pain and offer therapeutic benefits. However, experts have warned that this DIY to treat spondylitis, or the “neck-hanging exercise”, is not the same as the one offered professionally. A 57-year-old man surnamed Sun from Shenyang, Liaoning province, told the outlet that he designed a traction device to relieve his condition.

However, a 57-year-old man, Yang Xu, died in Chongqing in May 2024 while attempting the exercise. Experts say that this exercise should not be done without medical supervision. It required precise control over angle, weight and duration, and the traction force is typically around 10 to 15 per cent of a person’s body weight. The patient remains stationary throughout while doctors make adjustments according to each individual. But when you suspend the entire body weight from the neck, there is a serious risk of cervical dislocation and fractures as the body swings and twists around.

People in China are in disbelief hearing about the neck-hanging exercise. A user wrote on social media, "It is honestly terrifying. My blood freezes just watching it." Another user said, "Just hearing about this neck-hanging exercise sounds scary." SCMP quoted Shen Ya, a senior therapist from the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Air Force Hospital of the Eastern Theatre Command, as telling Litchi News that these suspension exercises can stimulate blood vessels and nerves, but they can also cause spinal cord injury or high-level paralysis.