Concussion Education Reaches Athletes Via Text Message
08.25.2011– CHICAGO, ILLINOIS –– An exciting new text messaging program for young athletes, coaches, and parents is launching in the Chicago area. The ‘be unstoppable football tips campaign” is designed to raise awareness about concussions and other football injuries. The end goal, help kids play safe and stay strong both on and off the field.
“Texting is an effective way to reach teens and adults where they are today, on their mobile phones,” says Dr. Vishal Mehta, a Chicago area sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, as well as the medical advisor and co-founder of Healthy TXT, the organization behind the public service venture. “Harvard University and John Hopkins Children’s Center studies show that healthy behaviors can be inspired and sustained using cell phone technology.”
How does the football tips campaign work? To sign up, text the phrase “footballtips” to 41411, or go to http://www.healthy-TXT.com to register for the email program. Educational concussion messages – along with football injury prevention, performance tips, and motivational messages from leading sports medicine physicians, trainers, and professional athletes – will be delivered once or twice a week.
All subscribers will go through a mini concussion-training course, with a text message and an educational link delivered weekly. Upon completion, participants can take a concussion quiz, and be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. Winners will be announced on Super Bowl Sunday.
The campaign is a highly collaborative team effort. Numerous Chicago area sports medicine physicians, neurologists, surgeons, and organizations are behind this innovative and timely text messaging campaign, including the national STOP Sports Injuries campaign spearheaded by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.
Sports provide important life lessons for youth. But injuries are on the rise, and a concussion is an injury that needs to be taken seriously. To date, twenty-eight states have adopted concussion prevention laws aimed at protecting young athletes from returning to play after suffering an injury.
Early Healthy TXT participating partners include:
Dr. Arif Ali, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Orthopedic Surgery Specialists
Dr. Joshua Alpert, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Midwest Bone and Joint
Dr. Brian Babka, primary care sports medicine, Central DuPage Physician Group
Dr. Aaron Bare, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, OAD Orthopedics
Dr. Holly Benjamin, primary care sports medicine, University of Chicago
Dr. James Bresch, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Orthopedic Surgery Specialists
Dr. Ankur Chhadia, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Suburban Orthopaedics
Dr. Mike Corcoran, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, OAK Orthopedics
Dr. Greg Dairyko, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, MM Orthopedics
Dr. Douglas Evans, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Loyola University Health Systems
Dr. Dave Garelick sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Illinois Bone Joint Institute,
Dr. Justin Gent, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, McHenry Orthopedics
Dr. Julio Gonzalez, primary care sports medicine, Dupage Medical Group
Dr. Sherwin Ho, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, University of Chicago
Dr. Neeru Jayanthi, primary care sports medicine, Loyola University Health System
Dr. Kevan Ketterling, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Fox Valley Orthopedics
Dr. Jason L. Koh, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, NorthShore University Health System, University of Chicago
Dr. Martin Leland, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, University of Chicago
Dr. Steve Marciniak, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Castle Orthopedics
Dr. Vishal Mehta, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Fox Valley Orthopedics
Dr. Jeffrey Mjaanes, primary care sports medicine, Rush University
Dr. Ketan R. Mody, primary care sports medicine,, Elite Sports Medicine
Dr. Robert D. Paras, primary care sports medicine, Castle Orthopedics
Dr. Timothy Petsche, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Fox Valley Orthopedics
Dr. Ashish Rawal, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Elmhurst Orthopedics
Dr. Arif Saleem, shoulder and elbow orthopedic surgeon, Castle Orthopedics
Dr. Kishore Santwani, neurologist
Dr. James Seeds, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Midwest Bone and Joint
Dr. Hythem P. Shadid, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Genesis Orthopedics
Dr. Jim Sostak, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Fox Valley Orthopedics
Dr. Michael Terry, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Northwestern University
Dr. Pietro Tonino, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Loyola University Health System
Dr. Nikhil Verma, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon Midwest Orthopedics at Rush University
Similar injury prevention campaigns for hockey, lacrosse, and baseball are in the design stage. The football campaign plans to expand regionally than nationally. All messages will be developed by physicians and content provided by the STOP Sport Injuries campaign, and the Center for Disease Control.
“Working together, communities can help keep athletes in the game for life,” said Mehta.