Media Center

Cheerleading Injuries

This time of year, many people are excited and involved in the sport of football. Along with football, we may think of cheerleading. Cheerleading is a sport that more and more students participate in throughout the year. There’s an estimated 3.3 million girls, ages 6 to adult, who participate in school cheerleading as well as competitive cheerleading events. Cheerleading has gone from waving pom-poms on the sidelines to a very athletic and competitive sport. Competitive cheerleaders tumble, like gymnasts, as well as build tall pyramids. Their routines consist of heavy lifting and flying through the air with great skill, but also with the risk of great injury.

Although most cheerleading injuries are not catastrophic, many girls are injured while participating both during practice and competitive portions of the sport. Many cheerleading injuries are hand and wrist related. Tumbling can injure growth plates and cheerleaders can sustain sprains as well as fractures. At TOA, we treat cheerleaders with various types of injuries to the upper extremities ranging from ligament injuries to fractures. If you believe your student-athlete has sustained a cheer-related injury, TOA specialists are here to provide evaluations and care. If the injury is not life or limb threatening, it's fine to ice and elevate the injured extremity and splint with any material you have available until they can be seen for treatment.

TOA takes great pride in caring for athletes. Our goal is to provide the care and treatment they need to get back in the game as quickly and safely as possible.

For hand/wrist/elbow appointments call: 855-NEED-TOA (855-633-3872)

- TOA Hand Center Specialists