Back Pain Research Paper

Back pain is one of the most common injuries sustained by collegiate cheerleaders. Factors like position in a stunt, experience, and previous back injuries can cause an athlete to develop frequent or chronic back pain. In college cheerleading, there are two different positions in which a cheerleader can be placed. The first position is the flyer, her job is to stay tight by having a strong core and contracting every muscle in her body so that she can be thrown in to the air easily. It is important that she has good balance and body awareness so that she does not become unstable and fall from a stunt. The second position is the base, his job is to support the flyers feet while she is in the air. It is important that he have upper body strength and leg strength. He is supporting all of the flyers body weight and must be aware of his flyers center of gravity at all times. This is to ensure that if for any reason she falls from a stunt he will know where to catch her. …show more content…
In an article written by Kozanoglu and Bavli (2009) the authors looked at lower back pain in different sports that showed lifetime prevalence of low back pain. According to the authors lower back pain was prevalent in 54% of wrestlers, 32% in tennis players, 37% in football players, 79% in gymnasts, 33% in golfers, 65% in skiers, and 63% in rowers. General risk factors that Kozanoglu and Bavill (2009) found were common among these sports for low back pain were excessive fat weight, advanced training years, poor conditioning, improper equipment, poor technique, repetitive activities and training errors. This article addressed the many external factors that could cause an athlete to develop back pain. Abnormal lumbar curvature, bone deformities, hypermobility, muscular strength imbalance can also play a role in the development of