# Can you give yourself brain damage from headbanging? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2016, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423 "2016-11-02T07:12:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![J0HN\_TIT0R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@J0HN\_TIT0R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J0HN_TIT0R)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/1 "2016-11-02T07:12:27Z")
Hey all, So for Halloween I was an 80s rockstar, and needless to say I was headbanging all night. Now today, I had a mild headache, and I’m not sure if it’s related. All of the sources that say damage is possible cite some guy who had a preexisting condition and ended up with a brain bleed. So for a healthy person is it fine? ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/2 "2016-11-02T07:19:52Z")
One would think this kind of thing is self limiting, but judging from some YT videos I’ve seen I’m not so sure. Concussion is probably “doable” or likely, anything worse would be rare hopefully. Don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/3 "2016-11-02T10:17:33Z")
> [@J0HN\_TIT0R](#): > > All of the sources that say damage is possible cite some guy … Not just one guy, but several. See Wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headbanging#Health\_issues](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headbanging#Health_issues) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/4 "2016-11-02T11:01:34Z")
Old person here. You mean “headbanging” is a real thing? I always thought it was some kind of artistic/musical figure of speech. What is the purpose of doing it? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/5 "2016-11-02T11:09:25Z")
**JOHN\_TITOR** , did you come from the future to fix Unix? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/6 "2016-11-02T11:31:54Z")
I was just thinking the name is a real blast from the past. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/7 "2016-11-02T12:49:28Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Old person here. > > You mean “headbanging” is a real thing? I always thought it was some kind of artistic/musical figure of speech. > > What is the purpose of doing it? You don’t actually bang your head against anything, you just thrash your head back and forth because you’re feeling the damn _metal_ so much. IANAD but I know headaches can be triggered by stiff neck muscles, so it seems more likely that the OP strained his neck a bit with all the moshing. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/8 "2016-11-02T13:14:33Z")
Am curious if Angus Young suffers from brain damage. ---
**Author:** ![J0HN\_TIT0R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@J0HN\_TIT0R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J0HN_TIT0R)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/9 "2016-11-02T17:09:04Z")
Yeah, no actual impact. Basically just nodding your head “Yes” rapidly. I’m not a musician or anything, so it was only the one night I did it. It’s not something I’d go out and do every weekend like real metal fans. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/10 "2016-11-02T17:18:06Z")
Actual brain damage seems unlikely. If you had brain damage, you would notice cognitive effects like an inability to read and xsjkwl ss afdof not making sense ulford kismun fnord. –Mark ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/11 "2016-11-02T18:51:20Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Actual brain damage seems unlikely. If you had brain damage, you would notice cognitive effects like an inability to read and xsjkwl ss afdof not making sense ulford kismun fnord. > > –Mark And of course fnord sest kinoya fnord tucuman cat molina ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/12 "2016-11-02T19:44:11Z")
Can you give yourself a case of shaken baby syndrome? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/13 "2016-11-02T20:15:30Z")
I am a fan of metal, and some songs instill in me an overwhelming urge to headbang which I frequently cannot resist (paired with a “devil’s horns” hand sign). Prolonged activity of this sort has resulted in a headache, dizziness, and stiff neck. Dizziness is usually the first thing to occur and admittedly can enhance the rush of the music, at least initially. Indeed, being too metal can lead to negative health consequences but at least in my case such have been both temporary and easily remedied with short rest and a mild painkiller. _Master of Puppets_ tends to be the worst in my recollection. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/14 "2016-11-02T21:30:25Z")
I’ve definitely given myself whiplash a couple times at some concerts in my youth. Sore/stiff for days. Dainbramage? Some might argue I had that before the headbanging. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/15 "2016-11-02T21:32:04Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Old person here. > > You mean “headbanging” is a real thing? I always thought it was some kind of artistic/musical figure of speech. > > What is the purpose of doing it? [quote=“Colophon, post:7, topic:770423”] You don’t actually bang your head against anything, you just thrash your head back and forth because you’re feeling the damn _metal_ so much… [quote] This. Also when you are packed into the very front of the pit, that’s really the only way to “dance” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/16 "2016-11-02T22:19:09Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I’ve definitely given myself whiplash a couple times at some concerts in my youth. Sore/stiff for days. Dainbramage? Some might argue I had that before the headbanging. Brain damage may lead to headbanging rather than the other way around. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/17 "2016-11-02T22:47:03Z")
Bang your head all night. Sounds like good logic and obviously a good decision for any adult to make. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/18 "2016-11-03T12:58:41Z")
Bang your head. Metal health will drive you mad. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/19 "2016-11-03T13:20:13Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > _Master of Puppets_ tends to be the worst in my recollection. By which, of course, you mean the best. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423/20 "2016-11-03T13:52:08Z")
Newton’s 1st law…an object in motion will stay in motion… When you begin your head banging, your brain within your skull starts in motion. You use your neck muscles to stop your head from moving forward, but your brain continues in motion until it reaches the side of your skull which has stopped. You continue this repetitively throughout the night with your brain slapping against your skull to stop itself. While these are minute actions, continue over the course of years, I believe could have significant traumatic effects on your brain, as noted by the link referred to in post #3. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-give-yourself-brain-damage-from-headbanging/770423.md?page=2)