Can a Personal Trainer Help With Injuries? Where a Physio Stops

A client came to me who was finishing up physio for a shoulder issue. They had basically stopped doing any pressing movements, meaning pushing a weight away from you. It was out of fear more than necessity.

We rebuilt it gradually, and that client was back to full pressing within a few months. Of course I get that people are scared of getting back into what actually injured them. But once we rebuild that movement, it helps even more.

That is what I do as a personal trainer, once it is clear what is safe to load. I’ve coached for 18+ years, almost entirely men and women between 40 and 65. I train them at UNTIL Soho, Marylebone, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf, and online (more on my about page).

Do many new clients start training with an injury?

It’s common for a new client to come in with an existing or old injury they’re managing. It might be a bad knee, a bad shoulder, or a lower back that flares up.

I reassure them that weight training can help with that as well, for sure. I’m a personal trainer, so I don’t diagnose or treat injuries. Where a client has an injury or a medical condition, I work alongside their medical team.

My return to training coaching is built for clients like these. If you’d rather train online with weekly support, take a look at my 40+ Reset Programme.

What goes wrong in the first month back after physio?

After physio, I see people either avoid the injured area completely out of fear, or go back too hard too soon because they feel fixed.

For both problems, the first month is about rebuilding confidence in the injured movement at a sensitive load, meaning a careful amount of weight, and not rushing it at all.

What should a trainer ask about an old injury in a first session?

I always ask what the injury is, early in a first session. My first questions go like this.

1. What is the injury?
2. When did it happen?
3. What was done about it, if anything?
4. Does it still cause discomfort?

I also use a pre-exercise questionnaire. That’s absolutely key to knowing what someone’s actual injuries are.

What makes me pause is sharp pain. If somebody still has sharp pain, I want them to get proper clearance before we put weight through it again. You can see how a first session runs in what to expect from your first personal training session.

When should you see a GP or physiotherapist before you train?

I send a new client to a GP or physio first when the pain is ongoing, or when I am unsure it is only stiffness. I want to be clear on what’s actually safe to load, and not guess.

If a niggle flares into a new sprain or strain, the NHS says to see a GP if it is getting worse or not feeling better after treating it yourself. It also says to contact NHS 111 if you cannot put any weight on it or walk more than a few steps.

In many areas you may be able to get NHS physiotherapy without a GP referral, through community muscle, bone and joint (MSK) services. There may be a long waiting list.

Where does a physio stop and a personal trainer start?

I step back to a GP or physio when I am not confident. Once it is clear what is safe to load, I rebuild the movement.

A trainer cannot call themselves a physiotherapist unless they are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. In the UK, that is a title protected by law.

An experienced personal trainer needs to know when they’re not a physio or an osteopath. You need to actually take a step back and go, “OK, I’m not confident here, so let’s go and get a bit more advice.”