Breakdancers may risk ‘head hole’ caused by repetitive head turning, doctors warn

Breakdancers may be at risk of developing a disease caused by repeatedly performing a cardinal movement in their practice and performance – the headpin – doctors warn in the journal. BMJ Case Reports.

Nicknamed the “head hole” or “breakdancing bulge,” this condition is unique to breakdancers and appears as a protruding bump on the scalp, often accompanied by hair loss and tenderness.

Breakdancers are particularly prone to injury due to the complexity and physical demands of the movements, the authors note. Sprains, strains and tendinitis are particularly common. Head and brain injuries, including subdural hematomas (collection of blood between the skull and brain), have also been reported.

Prolonged breakdancing often leads to “breakdancer overuse syndrome” which includes various conditions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and swollen, inflamed tendons (tenosynovitis), as well as hair loss and scalp irritation, add the authors.

They treated a man in his thirties with a growth on his scalp. The man said he had been performing various types of spin maneuvers for more than 19 years.

He practiced his moves five times a week for about 1.5 hours at a time. During these sessions, direct pressure was applied to the top of his head for two to seven minutes.

Despite hair loss and a lump on his head, he continued to practice head rotations, but was spurred into action when the lump began to grow significantly and his scalp began to be sensitive.

A CT scan of the head revealed thickening of the skin, tissue and skull around the mass, but no obvious signs of cancer, which was confirmed by biopsy.

The lump was removed, but the surrounding skin tissue remained thickened. Nevertheless, the man was satisfied with the result and once again felt able to go out in public without having to wear a cap.

This report represents only one case, and details of only one other have been published to date, so the findings should be interpreted in this context.

But the authors conclude: “This case highlights the importance of recognizing chronic scalp conditions in breakdancers and suggests that surgical intervention may be an effective treatment.” »