Why It’s Imperative that Coaches Modify for Painful Athletes and How to Do It

By djpope

January 27, 2019

coach, coaches, exercise, exercises, modification, modifying, pain, personal trainer, personal training, physical therapy, Rehabilitation

I used to teach every year in Crossfit Ohare out in Chicago.  The gym owner and coaches are phenomenal and I had a blast every year going there.  I always wanted to make sure I was delivering my best possible content every year for the coaches.  I remember sitting down and thinking, “what is the absolute most valuable thing I can teach these coaches this year”.

After quite a bit of deliberation one year I came to the conclusion that it was teaching coaches about pain and how to work with athletes that hurt.  As a therapist I work with athletes in pain every day of my life.  One of the absolute most important variables that need to be adjusted when athletes are in pain are the exercises they choose to utilize every day in training.  This is normally what I do with painful athletes on day 1 of their evaluation with me.  In other words, what movements need to be eliminated and which movements need to be modified temporarily so that this athlete in front of me can get back to training full force?

So Why is it Imperative that Coaches Modify for Painful Athletes?

This is where modification comes into play.  We have some good evidence in our medical literature (In conditions like patellofemoral pain syndrome and patellar tendinopathy) that if we don’t modify an athlete’s painful activities prior to starting a physical therapy program then they won’t make great progress.  Continuing with training as usual can just be exacerbating their injury.

Also keep in mind how important the dosage of exercise is for rehabilitation.  If we modify appropriately we’re giving athletes the proper dosage of exercise that will help them improve.  Without modification injuries can drag on longer then they should.  In the worst case injuries get more severe over the course of time.

So you can see just how important the correct modifications become.  Check out the video below for a more thorough explanation:

If you enjoyed this short clip then I wanted to let you know it’s part of a much longer webinar series included with subscription into my Fitness Pain Free Insiders Online Mentoring Program:

“Essential Coaches Series – What Every Coach Needs to Know About Pain and Injury”

I created this series because coaches and personal trainers everywhere are working with athletes in pain every day of the week.  This series will tell you exactly what to do (and what not to do) with these athletes so they can continue working towards their goals and prevent injuries in the long haul.

  • 7 Reasons Why Athletes Get Hurt in the Gym and What to do About It
  • Evidence Based Guide to Mobility Prescription
  • What is Pain and What You Need to Know When Dealing with Athletes in Pain
  • How to Modify Exercises for Athletes with Knee, Lower Back, Shoulder and Hip Pain
  • Plus 30+ hours of webinars about all things fitness and rehabilitation

Click HERE to Learn More About Fitness Pain Free Online Mentoring Program

I modify everything,

Dan Pope DPT, OCS, CSCS, CF L1