Dec. 17, 2008 - You don't have to butt your head against somebody else's noggin to get hurt on the dance floor or at a concert, but violent, rhythmic head banging can cause brain injuries, possibly even stroke.

That's the conclusion of two researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia, who warn that dancing involving "head banging" can be dangerous.

Head banging involves violent up-and-down, circular swinging, or side-to-side movements of the head and neck while dancing or listening to music, and the risk of injury increases as the music's tempo does, professor Andrew McIntosh and his research assistant Declan Patton report in the an online version of BMJ.

You can reduce your chance of injury by using protective equipment like neck braces, or simply moving your head to slower tempos, the researchers say.