Both physical therapists and personal trainers are both involved in health and fitness. It’s increasingly common to hire personal trainers, but fewer people may require or utilize the expertise of a physical therapist due to a serious injury.
Patients are usually referred to physical therapists, or physiotherapists, by their doctor to help with healing and rehabilitation after a serious injury or illness. Physical therapy clinics feature specialized medical equipment for rehabilitating injuries, such as walking aids, weight or strength training tools, special tables and exercise machines. Much of this equipment may not be found in a gym or sporting goods store.
While some of the machines may be similar to that found in a gym, professional therapists can show you how to use equipment safely and correctly to rehabilitate your injury. There are a few different ways to use several weight training machines, and utilizing them the wrong way for your injury can cause further complications.
While working closely with patients during the early stages of rehabilitation is a big part of what therapists do, they also develop maintenance routines. These exercise methods have the goal of ultimately returning people to a similar lifestyle to what they enjoyed before the injury.
Personal trainers specialize in helping people increase their fitness levels and stamina, which in turn helps boost overall health. With the popularity of gym membership on the rise, many people may find that their first interaction with a fitness coach is part of a gym membership package. This first meeting might include an assessment of the individual’s condition as well as an introduction to the standard aerobic exercise and weight equipment found in a gym. The type of instruction offered by personal trainers should not be confused with the type of therapy received from a state licensed and/or certified physical therapist. In fact, not all states or facilities require specialized training, certification or licensing for personal trainers.
Quite a few personal trainers choose to educate themselves specifically in the field of injury rehab. They may take additional classes, or even receive special certification in physiotherapy in addition to personal training. These individuals may be the best choice for continuing rehabilitation after an initial course of physician-directed treatment is complete. But unless the doctor approves, this type of training probably should not be substituted for the services of a therapist right after an injury.
Professional therapists will have, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school. Most states require passage of a Board exam prior to issuing these licenses.
While some personal trainers do have degrees in health related fields, this level of training is currently not required. There are a variety of certification programs that range from a few days to weeks of training, so expertise and knowledge will vary widely. Once the therapist and the physician have determined a home care and exercise maintenance therapy routine, hiring the right personal trainer is the logical next step.
When an injury is in the earlier stages of healing, nothing can replace the qualified work of a physical therapist. Ongoing maintenance that properly educated and certified personal trainers can provide can often prove greatly useful in continuing rehabilitation.
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