How many Fitness Trainers believe that they can rehab an injured client as well as a physical therapist? Why or Why not?
Many trainers are doing a great working with clients. The key thing is that if you don’t have the proper license as a Physical therapist and/or degree, the trainer shouldn’t prescribe the exercises. It’s OK to be trained by someone who meets the criteria and works under their supervision. As trainers, we should be an extension of the PT and other license professors.
Since law suits have increased against fitness professionals, they have to be careful to not work work beyond their Scope of Practice.
i appreciate the humbleness of Joanne when she said “Hence, I would say that I can’t “rehab” an injured client as well as a physical therapist.” She holds a Master’s degree, ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist and multiple .certification plus years of experience. She is a true example of a Fitness Professional role model
No way. Not me. Count me out!!
To become a licensed physical therapist (or physiotherapist or massage therapist, for that matter) requires a specific knowledge and skill set that I do not possess.
What I can do is work WITH a physical therapist to ensure:
1) I fully understand the injury and its recovery and rehabilitation process.
2) That when it’s time for the client to transition back to me, that my program builds on the physical therapist’s; that our respective programs are the best for our client. For example, I’ve worked with many physiotherapists where this ongoing collaboration works beautifully for all involved.
Bottom line: This is important stuff we’re dealing with here; a person’s physical and mental well-being could suffer horribly and needlessly if treated incorrectly.
As the only physical therapist/personal trainer who answered, I would have to agree with a majority of what you all said!!
The training between a physical therapist and a personal trainer is completely different.
One is regulated, the other is not.
One now requires to earn a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, while the other profession, doesn’t require a college degree.
At the end of the day, knowledge is power, the more you have, the more you can help a client.
I think the question is a bold and daring questions made. It would be similarly comparing are physician assistants as good or better at diagnosing conditions then physicians.