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Arthritis & Sports Is STOP’s Newest Collaborator
STOP (Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention) is a public outreach program that was developed by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine in order to curb the critical issues of overuse and traumatic injuries in young athletes.
Founded on the idea that grassroots efforts could help spread awareness and information about preventing these types of injuries in young athletes, STOP focuses on the importance of sports safety. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, nearly 30 million children and adolescents participate in youth sports in the U.S. This increase in play has led to some startling statistics about injuries among America’s youth athletes:
An estimated 2 million high school athletes sustain an injury while playing sports each year, resulting in 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations.
More than 3.5 million athletes under the age of 14 will receive medical treatment for a sports injury this year.
Children between the ages of 5 and 14 account for nearly 40 percent of all sports-related injuries treated in hospitals.
According to the CDC, more than 50 percent of all sports injuries in children are preventable.
STOP’s initiative not only raises awareness and provides education on injury reduction but also highlights how playing safe and smart can enhance and extend a child's athletic career, improve teamwork, reduce obesity rates and create a lifelong love of exercise and healthy activity. Arthritis & Sports couldn’t agree more with their effort to make sure everyone has all the information they need to keep kids in the game for life.
To help keep kids in the game for life, STOP targets the sports that have the highest rates of overuse and trauma injuries. With resources on over 25 different sports, STOP can provide you with the information you need to keep your young athlete safe. Want more information on a specific injury? STOP has specific tip sheets on over 30 topics, from specific injuries to treatments and exercises.
Whether you are an athlete, coach, or parent, we are committed to keeping young athletes safe and healthy. We encourage each and every individual to utilize STOP’s tips and tools to keep our young athletes safe. Click on any of the following links to start learning today!
If you or your child has experienced any sports-related injury, we invite you to call us at 703.444.5000 or click here to request an appointment with one of the sports medicine physicians at Arthritis & Sports. To stay up-to-date on the latest news and tips from us, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and sign up for our monthly newsletter for even more information sent straight to your inbox!
References:
STOP Sports Injuries Web site. 2017. JS Powell, KD Barber Foss, 1999. Injury patterns in selected high school sports: a review of the 1995-1997 seasons. J Athl Train. 34: 277-84.Safe
