(ANN/THE STAR) – Breakdancers may be facing a unique condition caused by one of their signature moves: the headspin.
Doctors in BMJ Case Reports have noted a rising risk of what’s now called the “headspin hole” or “breakdance bulge.”
This condition appears as a noticeable lump on the scalp, often with hair loss and tenderness in the area.
Due to the physical demands and complexities of breakdancing, injuries like sprains, strains, and tendinitis are common, say the study’s authors. But it’s the headspin’s repeated pressure on the scalp that creates this unusual effect, a condition now nearly exclusive to breakdancers.
Head and brain injuries, including subdural haematomas (pooling of blood between the skull and the brain), have also been reported.
Prolonged breakdancing often leads to “breakdancer overuse syndrome”, which includes various conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, swollen and inflamed tendons (tenosynovitis), and hair loss and scalp irritation, add the authors.
They treated a man in his early 30s with a growth on his scalp.
The man said that he had performed various types of headspin manoeuvres for more than 19 years.
He practised his moves five times a week for around 1.5 hours a time.
During these sessions, direct pressure was applied to the top of his head for between two and seven minutes.
Despite hair loss and a burgeoning lump on his head, he continued to practise headspins, but was prompted to act when the lump started to grow a lot larger and his scalp began to feel tender.
A head scan revealed thickening of the skin, tissue and skull around the lump, but no obvious signs of cancer, which was confirmed on biopsy.
The lump was removed, but the surrounding skin tissue remained thickened.
Nevertheless, the man was happy with the result and felt able to go out in public once again without having to wear a cap.
This report represents just 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 underscores the importance of recognising chronic scalp conditions in breakdancers and suggests that surgical intervention can be an effective treatment.”
