Injury Spotlight: Wrist Pain

     Think about the amount of pressure that your wrists experience during a typical cheer practice. Whether you’re doing a back handspring series or basing a stunt, the wrists sustain a lot of force in various aspects of cheer. A lot of force gets placed through the tiny joints of the wrist and this can lead to different injuries. 
     Here are some ways that you can help to keep your wrists in good shape and prevent future injuries:

• Stretch Your Wrists
  
  • In order to perform at your peak level in cheer, you must be able to bend your wrists to about a 90 degree angle. In addition to that flexibility, you typically have all of your weight, or someone else’s weight bearing through the joint. A lack of flexibility in the wrist can lead to an increased risk for injuries. It is important to stretch both the front and back of wrists and to also perform the stretches with your elbows both bent and straight for optimal flexibility.
    

• Strengthen Your Wrists
  
  • Having strong muscles around the joints of the wrist help prevent injury and keep the joints stable. These simple exercises can be done before, after, or even during practices. Even grabbing something like a water bottle to help work your wrists out during a break can help to keep them nice and strong and prevent potential injuries.
    

• What About Taping?
  
  • If you find the need to tape your wrists every practice due to pain, it may not be a bad idea to have your wrist screened for potential injury. Often times this pain is due to a lack of flexibility or strength in the wrists, but sometimes the pain can be caused by something more serious. Taping can be used as a temporary fix for pain, but should not be used long-term. 
    
• See a Physical Therapist
  
  • If you experience wrist pain during practices, a physical therapist can help to evaluate the causes of the pain and determine if there is a potential injury causing the pain. A physical therapist can also provide you with more structured exercises to help strengthen and stretch your wrists.