Hamstring injuries are a common occurrence for NFL players and the league is financing research into helping to limit their impact in the future.
The NFL announced on Thursday that they have awarded $4 million to fund a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin. The award, which will be given over four years, is devoted to researching new ways to prevent and treat hamstring injuries.
“At the league, we recognize the significant burden hamstring injuries have on our elite athletes year after year, and have dedicated resources to analyzing the occurrence and type of lower extremity injuries to better identify ways we can further reduce them,” NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said in a statement. “We’re hopeful that through the data-based approach outlined by Dr. Heiderscheit and his team, this funding will enable them to develop scientifically-based strategies that will advance the health and safety of our players in the years to come.”
The NFL’s safety advisory board awarded the $4 million. They previously funded five projects to dedicated to neuroscience.