September 25, 2012
Ana's Story
Ana's Story, a bilingual (English-Spanish) booklet on sports injuries.

An English and Spanish fotonovela to teach children and teens how to avoid sports injuries, "Ana's Story," is now available through the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the National Institutes of Health. A fotonovela uses a comic-book style format to engage readers and deliver important health messages.

While playing sports can improve children's fitness, self-esteem, coordination, and self-discipline, it can also put them at risk for injuries. Young athletes are particularly vulnerable because their bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments are still growing and are prone to injury. Children between 5 and 14 years of age account for almost 40 percent of all sports-related injuries.

"Ana's Story is a must-read publication for active kids, parents and coaches. It follows the success of our first fotonovela, Isabel’s Story, which teaches about bone health. These family-focused publications represent our commitment to providing culturally relevant health information," said Stephen I. Katz, M.D., Ph.D., director of the NIAMS.

The new story features teen soccer player Ana, who sprains her knee during a pick-up game at a family picnic. Ana and her family learn the best way to treat a sports injury promptly to avoid future complications. This new resource also offers specific tips on how to keep sports safe for kids and prevent injuries, such as warming up before exercise and staying hydrated.

Free copies of both Ana’s Story and Isabel’s Story are available to anyone upon request. To order, please contact the NIAMS Information Clearinghouse at (877) 22-NIAMS (226-4267) or use the order form at https://niamscatalog.demo6.iqsolutions.com.

The mission of the NIAMS, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health, is to support research into the causes, treatment and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. For more information about the NIAMS, call the information clearinghouse at (301) 495-4484 or (877) 22-NIAMS (free call) or visit the NIAMS website at https://www.niams.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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