Position-specific Injury Mechanisms and Related Rehabilitation Methods in American Football

Yuanchen Rong

doi:10.54254/2753-8818/2025.AU27099

Theoretical and Natural ScienceOpen access

Position-specific Injury Mechanisms and Related Rehabilitation Methods in American Football

Research Article

Open Access

Position-specific Injury Mechanisms and Related Rehabilitation Methods in American Football

Yuanchen Rong ^1*

¹ Beijing No.4 High School International Campus

^*Corresponding author: yuanchen.rong08@gmail.com

Published on 24 September 2025

TNS Vol.137

ISSN (Print): 2753-8826

ISSN (Online): 2753-8818

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-371-0

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-372-7

Download Cover

Abstract

As a high-intensity and tactically complex sport, American football has a high injury rate, and the specific movement patterns in certain positions lead to different injury situations, posing significant challenges to the health and sustainability of athletes, highlighting the importance of targeted research. This study focuses on key positions in American football, and develops comprehensive targeted training and rehabilitation plans by analyzing the injury mechanisms, differential factors, and rehabilitation strategies in specific positions. Research has found that injury patterns vary in different positions: quarterbacks have multiple upper limb injuries, running backs and wide receivers have lower limb injuries, forwards are prone to spinal injuries, and defensive guards have the highest incidence of concussion. The differences in injuries are related to biomechanical load, movement mechanisms, and training mismatches, and training plans corresponding to each position have been designed accordingly. This study emphasizes the crucial role of location specificity in injury management, providing personalized guidance for coaches and physical therapists to help reduce injuries and restore athletes’ optimal performance.

Keywords:

American football, position-specific injury, rehabilitation protocols, epidemiology.

View PDF

References

[1]. Lawrence, D. W., Hutchison, M. G., & Comper, P. (2015). Descriptive Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Injuries and Concussions in the National Football League, 2012-2014. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 3(5), 2325967115583653.

[2]. Ward, P. A. et al. (2018). Positional Differences in Running and Nonrunning Activities During Elite American Football Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 32(7), 2072–2084.

[3]. Glodowski, K. D. et al. (2024). Hawaiian High School Football Player Positional Differences in Helmet Impact Characteristics. Journal of athletic training, 10.4085/1062-6050-0068.24. Advance online publication.

[4]. Tummala, S. V. et al. (2018). Shoulder Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Quarterbacks: 10-Year Epidemiology of Incidence, Risk Factors, and Trends. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 6(2), 2325967118756826.

[5]. Hickey, J. T. et al. (2022). Hamstring Strain Injury Rehabilitation. Journal of athletic training, 57(2), 125–135.

[6]. Halabchi, F., & Hassabi, M. (2020). Acute ankle sprain in athletes: Clinical aspects and algorithmic approach. World journal of orthopedics, 11(12), 534–558.

[7]. Beaulieu-Jones, B. R. et al. (2017). Epidemiology of Injuries Identified at the NFL Scouting Combine and Their Impact on Performance in the National Football League: Evaluation of 2203 Athletes From 2009 to 2015. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 5(7), 2325967117708744.

[8]. Tsushima, W. T. et al. (2018). Computerized neuropsychological test performance of youth football players at different positions: A comparison of high and low contact players. Applied neuropsychology. Child, 7(3), 217–223.

[9]. Wilk, K. E. et al. (2013). Surgical Repair and Rehabilitation of a Combined 330° Capsulolabral Lesion and Partial-thickness Rotator Cuff Tear in a Professional Quarterback: a Case Report. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, 43(3), 142–153.

[10]. DeMartini, J. K. et al. (2011). Physical demands of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football players during preseason training in the heat. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 25(11), 2935–2943.

[11]. Bailey, L. B. et al. (2017). Effectiveness of Manual Therapy and Stretching for Baseball Players with Shoulder Range of Motion Deficits. Sports health, 9(3), 230–237.

[12]. Han, J. et al. (2015). The Role of Ankle Proprioception for Balance Control in relation to Sports Performance and Injury. BioMed research international, 2015, 842804.

[13]. Kaya, D. et al. (2019). Effects on Lower Extremity Neuromuscular Control Exercises on Knee Proprioception, Muscle Strength, and Functional Level in Patients with ACL Reconstruction. BioMed research international, 2019, 1694695.

[14]. Lockie, R. G. et al. (2016). Profiling of Junior College Football Players and Differences between Position Groups. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 4(3), 41.

[15]. Siddle, J. et al. (2024). A low-volume Nordic hamstring curl programme improves change of direction ability, despite no architectural, strength or speed adaptations in elite youth soccer players. Research in sports medicine (Print), 32(1), 49–60.

References

[2]. Ward, P. A. et al. (2018). Positional Differences in Running and Nonrunning Activities During Elite American Football Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 32(7), 2072–2084.

[5]. Hickey, J. T. et al. (2022). Hamstring Strain Injury Rehabilitation. Journal of athletic training, 57(2), 125–135.

[6]. Halabchi, F., & Hassabi, M. (2020). Acute ankle sprain in athletes: Clinical aspects and algorithmic approach. World journal of orthopedics, 11(12), 534–558.

[11]. Bailey, L. B. et al. (2017). Effectiveness of Manual Therapy and Stretching for Baseball Players with Shoulder Range of Motion Deficits. Sports health, 9(3), 230–237.

[12]. Han, J. et al. (2015). The Role of Ankle Proprioception for Balance Control in relation to Sports Performance and Injury. BioMed research international, 2015, 842804.

[14]. Lockie, R. G. et al. (2016). Profiling of Junior College Football Players and Differences between Position Groups. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 4(3), 41.

Cite this article

Rong,Y. (2025). Position-specific Injury Mechanisms and Related Rehabilitation Methods in American Football. Theoretical and Natural Science,137,1-7.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICBioMed 2025 Symposium: AI for Healthcare: Advanced Medical Data Analytics and Smart Rehabilitation

ISBN: 978-1-80590-371-0(Print) / 978-1-80590-372-7(Online)

Editor: Alan Wang

Conference website: https://2025.icbiomed.org/auckland.html

Conference date: 17 October 2025

Series: Theoretical and Natural Science

Volume number: Vol.137

ISSN: 2753-8818(Print) / 2753-8826(Online)

© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who publish this series agree to the following terms:

1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this series.

2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this series.

3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See Open access policy for details).