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Penn Cheerleader Recovers from Fall

Thursday, January 26, 2006

UNIVERSITY CITY-January 26, 2006 -- A University of Pennsylvania cheerleader is in good condition after a serious fall during the Penn-LaSalle basketball game. Natalie Oshin fell after being lifted by another cheerleader. She may have struck her head on the wood floor.

Oshin, who also plays ice hockey, was taken from the Palestra to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Hospital officials think she'll be able to go home Friday. But hers is not an isolated case. A study released just a couple weeks ago highlights a dramatic rise in cheerleading injuries.

These young women make it look easy, but today's cheerleaders perform complicated stunts that require athleticism, training, and skill. Brenda Shields/Columbus Children's Hosp.: "Cheerleading used to be the pom pom girls who just yelled out the cheers and stuff. Now they're starting to incorporate some very fancy gymnastic maneuvers." Researcher Brenda Shields found the number of school-aged cheerleaders treated in emergency rooms doubled over the past decade. Most of the injuries were in girls 12-18 who hurt their legs and feet.

Toshimi Takamura tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee twice. Toshimi Takamura/Varsity Cheerleader: "We had girls who had hurt wrists, we had girls with back injuries, and a couple girls pulled their hamstrings." But it can be a whole lot worse. Last August, 14-year-old Ashley Burns died from a spleen injury after landing on her stomach while attempting a flip. And a local orthopedic surgeon says 50percent of the catastrophic injuries in women's' sports happen to cheerleaders. Dr. Pekka Mooar/Temple Univ. Hosp.: "With the pyramids and tosses there's an opportunity to land on your head, back or neck." And that's what happened to Natalie Oshin Wednesday night. Dr. Mooar says there are two keys to prevention: training and soft surfaces. Studies have shown cheerleaders trained by the most highly-qualified coaches have fewer injuries. And when they do fall, a mat can make all the difference. Brenda shields: "The stunts should be performed on some kind of an impact-absorbing surface such as gymnastic mats, and definitely not on the hard gym floor."

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