Thread: Student with a sword headache?

I just started sword with my my level 4 students in about Nov. We worked on some technique and I started teaching them a new number.
I have one student who has been practicing over the holidays and says she gets a headache every time she balances the sword on her head. She mentioned this the very first class as well. She said she has the headache for some time after using the sword.
I was and am at a loss. My only guess is it could be hitting a nerve. I asked her to adjust front or back on top of her head, balancing at a different spot. She tried and same effect.
Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? Not sure how to advise her. For now she has chosen to use a different prop during the number (they had their choice of props). I feel bad though not having any idea on how to advise her on this!

yes, it happens to me. The same principle as when people get a headache from wearing a ponytail. I think she's just going to have to get used to it.

A lighter sword may help. Some kind of padded head wrap could also be useful, as it distributes the weight from just one spot a bit more across the skull.

I tend to get headaches too. This is the main reason why I don't do sword, but I have found that I'm able to balance other objects that distribute weight more evenly - like tray balancing.

She could try some other balancing prop...

can take quite a while to get used to

If I haven't done sword for a while, I too get headaches. But if I work with it regularly, I get used to it. I would suggest to this student that she try this: limit her sword practice to 5-minute bursts. Ie, use it 5 minutes, then put it aside and practice something else a while, then use it 5 minutes more, etc.

Thanks everyone for your advice! Shira, thanks I will ask her to do this.
I had no idea this even happened to dancers until now!
I think she is feeling like she doesn't want to keep trying at this point. I did tell her that it is not a big deal and sword is never a "have to" with any belly dancer!

Neck issues can be another cause of head aches so she may need to build more strength. Also check her posture, if she's tilting her head in some way she could be straining her neck muscles trying to hold the position due to awkward weight distribution of the head.

Has she tried different balance points? There's no law saying all bellydancers with swords *must* put them on their heads ..g.:

No real advice, but I know if I wear a hard headband (ie, not a cloth one) I get killer headaches as well. And those aren't heavy, there is just something about the compression of it on the head, I guess. So she is not the only one.

I get headaches too and practice sword balancing in "bursts" as Shira has suggested :) Headbands also give me a headache, as do hair nets (for wigs). I actually cried on set one day (while filming) because my head hurt so bad - and this was several hours AFTER the MUA had cut the elastic on the edge of the net! So, your student's not the only one with "head issues" :)

Her posture is good, I did check that with all my students to make sure no one was changing posture due to balancing a prop.
Don't know about her neck? I will ask her, she is very little.
This number has two sections for balancing on the head. She could persue it for solo use though.

I wonder if she could be clenching her jaw in concentration--that could cause a headache.

I'll second the neck thing...I get migraine headaches, and I also have a spot in my neck that sometimes acts as the trigger for the headache, and sometimes develops pain *because of* the migraine. I'm ok most of the time, but occassionally, if my neck's already having a rough day or if I already have a migraine aura, putting my sword on my head can send the headache into overdrive. (My sword *is* a fairly heavy one, though--about 4lbs--my friend's lighter sword is less of an issue.)

No neck issues that I've heard of but will look at that.
The jaw is an interesting idea?