Active people are being asked to share their stories of sports pain or injury as leading medical charity Arthritis Research UK seeks new ways to keep people active throughout their lives.

Backed by sporting legends, Arthritis Research UK’s initiative ‘Taking the pain out of sport’, is urging the seven million people in the UK who play sport or exercise regularly to share their experiences via an online survey at www.painoutofsport.org.

More than half (56%) of the active public have sustained a sport injury such as sprained ligaments, fractures and broken bones according to a survey by the charity. Healthcare professionals’ views are also sought on the site, with all responses contributing to the charity’s drive for new research into the link between common sports injuries and longer term pain and disability from conditions such as osteoarthritis, which affects over eight million people in the UK.

Dr. Liam O’Toole, CEO of Arthritis Research UK says: “We all know there are huge benefits to regular exercise and participating in sport, and we also know that people want to keep active throughout their lives. It is well documented that sports injuries can have seriously debilitating consequences in the long term. What we don’t know is how best to prevent and manage injuries to avoid these long-term effects. We hope that everyone with sports pain or injury tells us about it at www.painoutofsport.org.”

A number of sporting heroes and famous faces are supporting the campaign, including former Yorkshire and England cricketer Darren Gough, Olympic and Commonwealth games medallist Sharron Davies MBE, former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson OBE, Colin Jackson CBE, Sir Cliff Richard and Jonathan Dimbleby.

To find out more visit www.painoutofsport.org and help Arthritis Research UK take the pain out of sport.