A man is in intensive care with brain damage after he went for a massage and the therapist cracked his neck.

Jeronimo Ramirez Leon, 43, had gone for the relaxing treatment at the Villa Frontera Baths in Puebla, Mexico, on 24th November.

But he was left unconscious and had to be taken to hospital after the massage therapist “cracked” his neck, according to reports.

Neck cracking has been reported to cause blood clotting in the neck or tears in the vertebral arteries, stopping oxygen supply to the brain.

Jeronimo sustained brain damage and risks being left in a vegetative state.

He now remains in a delicate state of health in the ICU of the Zona Norte de Puebla General Hospital.

His family have filed a complaint against the owners of the baths with the Attorney General’s Office.

Local media reported that similar incidents have previously taken place at the same baths.

The family has also reported the Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, where Jeronimo was first taken, for negligence.

They claim he was not given the appropriate care for his symptoms there before his transfer to the other facility.

His niece told local media: “It can’t be that my uncle’s in this condition and that doctors are telling us that he’ll either be left paralysed or brain-damaged.”

The Villa Frontera Baths were closed after the incident for failing to protect their clients. They remained closed at the time of writing.