If You Don't Have a License - Stay in Your Lane

Personal trainers or strength coaches don't have a license to diagnose, treat, or manage musculoskeletal conditions. Yet some are convinced they can play 'therapist' or 'doctor' on the regular.

While I do agree that it's important for coaches/trainers to understand pain and how to make appropriate modifications to an exercise plan based on a client/athlete's current limitations, it's completely inappropriate to give any level of medical advice. Just because you took a course or use correctives in your exercise plan, it does not put you on the level of a PT, DC, or MD regardless of your opinions of those professions.

For example, saw a patient who, for months, had been dealing with chronic knee pain. Yet her personal trainer convinced her it was no big deal and she needed to "pump blood into her knee" by exercising and that would heal her knee - only to be informed she has a torn meniscus. This kind of situation occurs more than you would believe and it's wrong.

Social media is littered with people such as this who present solutions to pain or specific physical ailments. They generically provide exercises or stretches for some common condition (low back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain). It's often just regurgitated information cause it's easy to copy.

Yet they know NOTHING about YOU, but assume to know you. This is wrong. People listen cause it's free advice and there is perceived authority. Sadly, a large social media following equals perceived authority in today's world.

They are providing 'treatment' in the form of exercises or stretches to relieve the pain they are 'diagnosing' you with. Some even goes as far as to discredit certain medical or rehab professionals. They say, "Don't listen to them." What they are really saying is, "Listen to me." Again, wrong.

No license? Be careful how you take their advice. They are not trained in musculoskeletal diagnosis. Please use caution. 

That said, I do know very knowledgable trainers and coaches. In some cases, I would trust this opinion more than some licensed healthcare professionals. They understand the body very well and can give competent, sound advice. But, these same trainers and coaches know their boundaries and respect the fact they shouldn't be diagnosing their clients condition or handing out medical advice. No matter how well intentioned they want to be. 

If you don't have a medical license - please stay in your lane.