"Health Beat"

Is this the future of metal fashion? Universal Cervical Collar from Core Products

I suppose I should be gratified that the music I loved in my salad days (and am still partial to) has just now been branded as bad for your health.  This means I’m rebellious and cool, right?

(From the ten-year-old: “Sure, Mom.”)

I’m referring to the study that appeared in the British Medical Journal last month.  Entitled “Head and neck injury risks in heavy metal: head bangers stuck between rock and a hard bass,” this study conducted by researchers at the University of New South Wales concluded that if AC/DC plays Moon River and neck braces are available at the concession stand, then we headbangers won’t have to worry about mild traumatic neck and brain injury incurred from headbanging.

The study reads like a piece from The Onion:

Though exposure to head banging is enormous, opportunities are present to control this risk—for example, encouraging bands such as AC/DC to play songs like “Moon River” as a substitute for “Highway to Hell”; public awareness campaigns with influential and youth focused musicians, such as Sir Cliff Richard; labelling of music packaging with anti-head banging warnings, like the strategies used with cigarettes; training; and personal protective equipment.¹

Um.

The study goes on to lay out models of axes of rotation, range of motion, and beats per minute.  It’s complete with an impressive array of tables.  I guess that despite their suggestion of substituting Enya for Anthrax, these fellows are serious.

In all fairness, I can see how headbanging could be dangerous.  We’re talking repetitive, violent, swift movements involving that incredibly delicate and crucial of human structures, the spine.  Headaches and dizziness have often been reported after headbanging.  Sometimes the repercussions are similar to whiplash; other suspicions are more ominous and involve the brain, such as findings of subdural hematoma and stroke.  I personally have been more concerned about muscle strain–after Megadeth and Alice in Chains concerts, my shoulders and neck muscles were stiff and sore to the point of immobility.

To those of you who can’t resist headbanging, or who know someone who, like Batman, can’t turn his head,  I would never recommend wearing a neck brace to a concert.  After the concert?  Yes.  Wearing a neck brace for a few days afterward may help. It’ll remind the wearer to take it easy on his or her neck, which will speed healing.  With muscle aches, heat therapy or massage therapy might be indicated.  If symptoms including pain and aching don’t resolve after a day or so, an appointment to the chiropractor or the doctor might be a good idea.

By all means, take good care of yourself when you rock out.  Headbanging can hurt.  But hearing the theme from A Summer Place come out of Angus Young’s stack of Marshalls would hurt even worse.

-Marguerite

1. Head and neck injury risks in heavy metal: head bangers stuck between rock and a hard bass: A study done by Declan Patton and Andrew McIntosh @ www.bmj.com

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 8th, 2009 at 2:53 pm and is filed under Hobbies, Injuries, pain, safety. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.