Docs tell headbangers to wear a neck brace
Experts say heavy metal fans should wear a neck brace when headbanging, or risk serious injury.
Australian researchers say headbanging could be behind countless cases of head and neck related injuries and have suggested a selection of odd solutions.
The biomedical injury experts took their clipboards and white coats to heavy metal concerts including ones by Motörhead, Ozzy Osbourne and Skid Row to identify common head banging technique.
They then constructed a theoretical head banging model of this up-down style and set about examining the effects to music of different tempos ... their lab-mates now know the words to every Motörhead track.
Professor Andrew McIntosh from the University of New South Wales, said reports of head banging induced injury include hearing loss, stroke and mild traumatic brain injury.
He added that the average head banging song has a tempo of about 146 beats per minute and that head banging at this tempo could cause headaches and dizziness.
As a solution he proposes in the British Medical Journal, that there should be public awareness campaigns and that music packaging should come with anti-head banging warnings.
He is also calling for bands such as AC/DC to play songs such as "Moon River" instead of "Highway to Hell." Lets hope he was joking.
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