Hi, my name is Jazlyn Richardson. I’m an Orthopedic Technician at Tahoe Forest Sports Medicine. Today we’ll be discussing cheer and dance injury prevention.

Starting from the lower extremity, we’ll discuss ankles and feet. These are the most susceptible to injury in things like landings, turns, and jumps. These injuries tend to be the most common injuries in the sports.
Ways that you can prevent this are taking the time to warm up, doing ABCs, and slow ankle rolls. Moving up the chain, we’ll discuss knees. These injuries can be sustained particularly in impact activity. Things you want to look out for with this are ensuring that you have a bend in your knee upon landing, as well as bracing your hips. Things you want to consider with this, are keeping your knees out of bend, as well as keeping your hips strong. It’s really important to keep up with your dynamic training to avoid injuries such as these.

Next on our list is hips and low back. These can be in movements like splits, back extension, or back bends. Things you want to consider with hips and low back are to brace your core and ensure strength in the pelvis itself.

Next on our list is shoulders and wrists. This can be particularly problematic for positions like flyers and bases since you are taking the brunt of the weight. Great preventative measures for this are to strengthen your shoulders, keep your form clean, and progress slowly over time when focusing on a new skill. Most of these injuries occur due to lack of warming up, improper technique, or progressing a skill too fast. So with this, it is really important to take the time to do all of those. A five-minute warmup is something quick and easy to do prior to participating in cheer or dance.

If something is swollen, bruised, numb, or continues to hurt you, don’t ignore it. This is something that sports medicine and physical therapy can help alleviate. If you feel that something’s been bothering you, it’s something that we can help you here at Tahoe Forest Sports Medicine.

Again, my name is Jazlyn Richardson. I’m an ortho tech here. Thank you so much for watching.

Learn how to reduce your risk of injury during cheerleading and dance with practical tips from Jazlyn Richardson, Orthopedic Technician at Tahoe Forest Sports Medicine. In this video, Jazlyn explains the most common injuries affecting cheer and dance athletes, from ankle sprains and knee injuries to hip, low back, shoulder, and wrist pain. She shares simple prevention strategies, including proper warmups, strengthening exercises, good landing mechanics, core stability, and gradually progressing new skills to help athletes stay healthy and perform at their best.

You’ll also learn why proper technique, consistent dynamic training, and taking just five minutes to warm up before practice or competition can make a significant difference in preventing injuries. If you’re experiencing swelling, bruising, numbness, or pain that doesn’t improve, don’t ignore it. Early evaluation and treatment can help you recover safely and return to the activities you love. Whether you’re an athlete, parent, or coach, this video offers valuable guidance for keeping cheerleaders and dancers strong, confident, and injury-free.

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