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Because it's the first thing you consider when you go to a heavy-metal concert, we just thought you should know: Head-banging can be hazardous to your health.

That's right — depending on the tempo of the music and the range of motion of your noggin, you could be looking at a head or neck injury, Australian researchers report in today's British Medical Journal.

Andrew McIntosh, an associate professor of biomechanics at the School of Risk and Safety Sciences as the University of New South Wales, and his research assistant, Declan Patton, attended several hard rock and heavy-metal concerts, taking careful note of the most popular head-banging techniques in the audience.

While head-banging generally refers to violent, rhythmic movement of the head, it takes various forms. At the concerts McIntosh and Patton attended, the "up-down" style — which looks like you're bobbing for apples, long hair covering your face at all times — trumped the others. The "circular swing" (long locks swung around your head like a mini tornado) the "full body" (hair whipped up and down in exaggerated fashion) and the "side-to-side" (looks like you're shaking your head in disagreement) didn't get as much representation. (Thanks to our resident head-banging expert, tech editor Larry Greenemeier, for those colorful descriptions.)

After rockin' out with Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row and Whitesnake, among others, McIntosh and Patton got down to business. Based on the popularity of the up-down style of head-banging at the concerts, and the average tempo of 11 songs deemed the best for head-banging by a minion of local musicians, the scientists developed a mathematical model of how violently you'd have to shake your noodle to hurt yourself. Their conclusion? Head-banging to a song with a tempo of 146 beats per minute can make you dazed and confused (read: give you a headache and make you dizzy) if you're rotating your head by more than 75 degrees.

For the record, popular heavy metal often has a tempo of 180 beats per minute, according to the study. So head-banging to faster tunes with even more range of motion (say, 120 degrees) could cause a neck injury — mainly pain, McIntosh and Patton conclude.

"If the tempo is increased, you have to accelerate more to keep in time," McIntosh tells us. "You've got a limit to that range of motion. The more you're going through it, the higher the risk of mild brain injury or some sort of neck injury."

The tongue-and-cheekiness of the research aside, musicians have actually hurt themselves head-banging. A 15-year-old drummer in his neighborhood band suffered an aneurysm in his cervical vertebral artery, according to a 1991 case report in the journal Pediatric Neurosurgery, and Evanescence guitarist Terry Balsamo had a stroke three years ago that his docs blamed on his head-banging tendencies.

Worried? Try to rotate your neck at no more than 45 degrees. Alternatively, consider slower tempo, easy-listening music instead — or a neck brace, McIntosh and Patton suggest.

"You could have a stylish neck brace built into a leather jacket," McIntosh quips. "We didn’t take into account whether if someone had a poodle-style hairdo, that that might dampen some of the acceleration, or if dreadlocks make it worse. The next step would be to look at the effects of some of these hairstyles."

Rock on!

Image © iStockphoto/Don Bayley

7 Comments

1. 1. merlinthefiend 11:39 AM 12/18/08

   Interesting article, but you picked the wrong kind of metal to go see. To really see what kids are doing these days, you should have spent the money researching underground metal such as death metal and grindcore to see the movements those kids make. Windmilling and circle pitting are very common, windmilling is basically where you run through a crowd of people doing "windmills" with your arms, subsequently smashing people as you turn. I've been clocked in the face by windmilling, its not much fun. Also, circle pitting is where an empty circle is formed in the middle of the floor and people run across it doing various "dancing" forms, some of which include extremely violent headbanging. I've even heard of people at some hardcore shows putting in a mouthpiece before jumping in a circle pit. Simply put, these types of activities are a lot more intense than you've depicted them. You should have done more thorough research.

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2. 2. sweetsourpork 04:47 AM 12/20/08

   Actually, the metal "merlinthefiend" described is the wrong metal to go see. Hardcore is for kidiots. Enjoy your slap parties and mouthpieces and don't bother paying attention to the band. If they were any good you wouldn't be beating each other (off) now would you?

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3. 3. mareth 11:06 AM 12/21/08

   I have been headbanging for over 40 years and have cooled it recently due to discomfort in my neck and base of skull - brain?/vertebra? I also have annoying tinitus from years of play it loud music. Was it worth it? Well - er -yes actually!

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4. 4. Noviceman 01:35 AM 12/23/08

   What can I say. We go to metal shows. We headbang. We get drunk. We have fun.
   
   You whine because it's dangerous.
   
   WHO'S THE WIMP? Get the fuck out, your criticism about headbanging is as gay as a fashion designer or a male hairdresser. You can also go to a Slayer show and get yourself beaten in a mosh pit.
   
   It's awesome. Even scientists are dumbfucks nowadays. But I guess that's the influence of the US, right?
   
   As a last note, a true metal band once said...
   
   
   Rock, Drink and Fuck!
   
   (Omg they didn't mention the heavy drinking at metal shows? Or the drugs? WAO WHAT A PRO SCIENTIST.)

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5. 5. Noviceman 01:37 AM 12/23/08

   What can I say. We go to metal shows. We headbang. We get drunk. We have fun.
   
   You whine because it's dangerous.
   
   WHO'S THE WIMP? Get the fuck out, your criticism about headbanging is as gay as a fashion designer or a male hairdresser. You can also go to a Slayer show and get yourself beaten in a mosh pit.
   
   It's awesome. Even scientists are dumbfucks nowadays. But I guess that's the influence of the US, right?
   
   As a last note, a true metal band once said...
   
   
   Rock, Drink and Fuck!
   
   (Omg they didn't mention the heavy drinking at metal shows? Or the drugs? WAO WHAT A PRO SCIENTIST.)
   
   What's next? "PUNCHING PEOPLE IN THE FACE IS UNHEALTHY! BULLIES BEWARE!"?

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6. 6. Noviceman 01:41 AM 12/23/08

   Lol they posted my comment twice, long live my fucking awesome 56k connection.
   
   And if it's not my connection that sucks, it's your site.

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7. 7. liggybee 10:02 PM 12/23/08

   But of course all that head-banging can be dangerous. So is typing on a computer keyboard all day long - you get carpal tunnel syndrome from that!
   
   

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