Breakdancers risk ‘headspin hole’ or lump on scalp, study warns

NEW YORK, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Breakdancers who perform repetitive headspins risk a unique ailment -- a protruding lump on the scalp, hair loss and tenderness, a new study from Denmark cautions.

The study, highlighting a patient with "breakdancer overuse syndrome," was published Thursday in the journal BMJ Case Reports.

Turning on his head over and over again, the man in his early 30s developed a "headspin hole" or "breakdance bulge" -- an injury specific to breakdancers, researchers said.

Due to the complex demands of acrobatic moves, breakdancers are especially susceptible to sprains and strains, including carpal tunnel syndrome and swollen, inflamed tendons, the researchers noted.

Some breakdancers also suffer head and brain injuries, such as subdural hematomas -- pooling of blood between the skull and the brain, they said.

"With breakdancing gaining visibility through competitions and its inclusion in events like the Olympics, understanding the physical toll it takes on dancers is increasingly relevant," the study's senior author, Dr. Christian Baastrup Søndergaard, told UPI.

"The report taps into a growing interest in this cultural and athletic phenomenon," said Søndergaard, a neurosurgeon at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In performing various types of headspin maneuvers for more than 19 years, the patient practiced five times per week for about 1 1/2 hours each session, applying direct pressure to the top of his head for two to seven minutes, according to the researchers.

Despite the burgeoning lump and hair loss, he continued doing headspins. When the lump increased significantly in size and his scalp began to feel tender, he sought medical help.

A head scan showed thickening of the skin, tissue and skull around the lump. There were no apparent signs of cancer, which a biopsy confirmed.

After surgeons removed the lump, the surrounding skin tissue remained thick. Even so, the man appreciated the result and felt comfortable venturing out in public again without a cap, researchers said.

The report covers only one case, so they noted that it's important to interpret the findings in this context, while recognizing that surgical intervention can be effective in breakdancers with chronic scalp conditions.

"Repetitive pressure on any part of the body, but particularly the scalp, can cause things like this," said Dr. Julian Bailes, a neurosurgeon and physician executive at Endeavor Health Neurosciences Institute in Evanston, Ill. He was not involved in the study.

The bumps that result from spinning on the head for hours each week are similar to forming a callus, he said.

Hair-pulling during headspins also can result in hair loss and tissue injury. This leads to inflammation that may impair short-term hair regrowth, said Dr. Angela Lumba-Brown, a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine and a concussion specialist at Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, Calif.

"I would recommend using a helmet when you're doing any kind of breakdancing, such as repeated headspins, that involves this type of strain on your head," she said.

Wearing a helmet or a padded beanie delays formation of a callus, but it ultimately doesn't prevent one, said Valerie "Ms. Vee" Ho, who teaches hip-hop at Pace University and The Juilliard School in New York City. Breakdancing was the first hip-hop dance, she noted.

"The helmet was a popular tool in the late 1990s," Ho said. "But it kind of fell out of favor in the early 2000s because it was seen as corny."