Bang your head! No, really, go ahead.
Despite treating a Motorhead fan whose excessive head banging led to bleeding in his brain, doctors have told heavy metal fans they can continue to “rock on.”
Doctors at the Hannover Medical School in Germany saw a 50-year-old man last year that had been complaining of agonizing headaches, AP reports.
The patient had no previous history of brain injuries or drug problems, but did reveal that he took part in a night of heavy headbanging with his son at a Motorhead concert. He also mentioned that he had been banging his head to bands for years.
After running some tests, doctors realized that the headaches were being caused by blood coming from the brain. They then proceeded to drill a hole in the patient’s head to drain the blood.
Once the headaches stopped, doctors discovered a benign cyst on a follow-up scan of his brain, leaving the patient at a high risk for injury.
Don’t panic just yet, headbangers.
Doctors say the risk of suffering an injury like this is extremely rare and fans should let the rocking commence.
“We are not against headbanging,” said Dr. Ariyan Pirayesh Islamian, a doctor who helped treat the man. “The risk of injury is very, very low.”
Islamian did add though that some Beethoven could’ve been the difference maker.
“I think if (the patient) had (gone) to a classical concert, this would not have happened,” he said.
Dr. Colin Shieff, a neurosurgeon and trustee of the British brain injury advocacy group Headway, agreed that hardcore headbangers have a slim chance of suffering from brain trauma.
“Most people who go to music festivals and jump up and down while shaking their heads don’t end up in the hands of a neurosurgeon,” he said. “There are probably other higher risk events going on at rock concerts than headbanging.”
According to Islamian, the act of violently shaking one’s head creates the risk of injury because the brain is slamming into the skull.
Despite this, he insisted that headbangers shouldn’t shy away from expressing themselves during a concert.
“Rock ‘n’ roll will never die,” he said. “Heavy metal fans should rock on.”