Catastrophic Cheerleading

Cheerleading is the leading cause of catastrophic injury in young women KT Tape clinicians and managers have noticed that more cheerleaders at the collegiate and high school levels are becoming fans of KT Tape. Cheerleading has become a very demanding sport and cheerleaders endure rigorous athletic practices, training and competition. Young woman cheerleaders are incredibly strong, fit, flexible and have impressive endurance.  With more than three million cheerleaders in the U.S., sprains, strains and injuries happen often. According to Medical News Today and data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, cheerleading related accidents grew from about 5000 in 1980 to 28,000 injuries per year today. On a more dramatic note, the National Center of Catastrophic Sports Injury Research states that cheerleading accounts “for approximately 65 to 66 percent of all female catastrophic injuries in either high school or college.” According to a Live Science article: "A major factor in this increase has been the change in cheerleading activity, which now involves gymnastic-type stunts," said Dr. Frederick O. Mueller, lead researcher on the new report and a professor of exercise and sports science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "If these cheerleading activities are not taught by a competent coach and keep increasing in difficulty, catastrophic injuries will continue to be a part of cheerleading." We're pleased to hear from so many cheerleaders and their coaches as they focus on making the sport safer.  They come to us with a lot of questions about how to use KT Tape to recover from sore muscles, strains and certain injuries.  And they tell us they like how KT Tape doesn't restrict mobility, how it's not bulky to wear under uniforms, and how it is soft and flush to the skin so it won't snag a stunting partner the way braces do.   If you're a cheerleader or a cheer coach, check out the KT Tape taping instructions here and keep it safe out there!