As an Orthopedic Exercise Specialist, you’ll have the expertise to help the
33 percent of Americans who report being affected by knee pain, and all other clients or patients hindered by muscle imbalances or musculoskeletal disorders. Expand your marketability by becoming an expert in restoring function in people following orthopedic rehabilitation. Learn to design exercise programs that incorporate appropriate progressions and strategies to improve movement, avoid injury and boost function.
Our Orthopedic Exercise Specialty Certification is designed for a wide range of professionals – from those within the fitness industry to athletic trainers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors and doctors. The curriculum will provide a better understanding of the structure and function of major joints, common musculoskeletal conditions, and general treatment clients will receive from orthopedic specialists. Upon completion, professionals will be able to develop exercise programs and incorporate progressions that address muscle imbalances, prevent injury, and improve movement patterns, muscular strength and endurance.
Our team of experts developed specialty certifications based on public demand and the knowledge they believed a well-rounded specialist should possess. Requirements for each specialty certification include a blend of courses created by ACE and those developed by our educational partners.
You must complete each of the courses described below. As you move through the required curriculum, you will earn continuing education credits (CECs) for each component. CECs will be added to your MyACE account as you go, allowing you to apply them to your current recertification requirements.
Once you complete all of the courses, you will automatically be updated in our system as an ACE specialist and a specialty certification will be uploaded into your My ACE account. Our specialty certifications do not expire. Purchase price includes all materials and the specialty certification itself.
The Continuing Education Course, Your Client's FrameWork -7 Steps to Healthy Muscles, Bones and Joints, by orthopedic surgeon Nicholas DiNubile, M.D., is based on the book FrameWork, as well as a 77-minute DVD created especially for ACE fitness professionals and a special downloadable version of DiNubile's screening tool, "The Self-Test: Are You Built to Last?".
The 250-page comprehensive text, written in an easy-to-understand format by DiNubile and William Patrick, offers the first medically based fitness program designed to help individuals improve their musculoskeletal durability and navigate around injuries and musculoskeletal vulnerabilities. The 77-minute FrameWork DVD is divided into three segments: an exclusive interview with Dr. DiNubile; step-by-step demonstrations of exercise modifications, featuring exercises for low back pain, elbow tendinitis, knee and hip arthritis, and a host of other maladies; and footage taken directly from a PBS special which features demonstrations of the core exercises covered in the book. Finally, the downloadable self-test screening is the first step in the seven-step FrameWork program, and serves as a tool to help you identify clients' muscle imbalances, weaknesses or tightness, deficits in balance/proprioception, and loss of range of motion.
You wil learn:
- Describe physiological characteristics of bone and soft tissues, and how they affect a healthy musculoskeletal system.
- Describe the musculoskeletal screening tests which can help identify a client's weak links and allow for a tailored exercise program.
- Identify programming modifications that fitness professionals can apply when training clients with certain musculoskeletal limitations.
- Demonstrate how to properly perform different core exercises using either a mat or a ball.
- Understand key nutrition and stress reduction strategies to support a healthy frame
- Discuss options for navigating the healthcare system related to injury treatment
Learn exercise progressions and specific rehabilitation techniques to serve clients recovering from common injuries including sprains and fractures. Based on content from Post-Orthopedic Rehabilitation for Personal Trainers, this online course helps personal trainers safely transition clients back to a total body program, and how to avoid further injury during phases of tissue healing.
You will learn:
- Phases of tissue healing and a systematic approach to exercise following an injury
- Common injuries involving upper and lower extremities, including the mechanism of injury, structures involved and healing constraints
- Goal-setting strategies when working with post-orthopedic rehabilitation clients
- Exercise progressions for individuals with specific injuries
- To institute effective communication with clients’ healthcare providers
In this online course based on the popular book by Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, FrameWork for the Knee: A 6-Step Plan for Preventing Injury and Ending Pain, you will learn why musculoskeletal conditions are a major—and growing—health concern for many Americans today. Discover common conditions of the knee and learn a step-by-step program for regaining knee health for those who suffer from knee problems, or for maintaining knee function to avoid future knee pain. Find out how to help your clients protect their knees so they can continue to enjoy their favorite activities!
You will learn:
- Recognize general anatomical structures of the knee
- List common knee conditions and injuries
- Discuss factors that contribute to knee instability and pain
- Briefly describe common reasons for the differences between males and females in injury rates to the knees
- Explain the importance of exercise and physical activity in functional and pain-reduction programs for the knee
- Perform a self-check test that identifies weak links in the chain of wellness
- Discuss common procedures used to treat individuals with diseases, injuries, and conditions of the knee
- Explain flexibility, strength, core, neuromuscular, recovery, and rehabilitation exercises specific to improving knee health
Recently, advances in medicine and technology have given doctors a more insightful understanding of the biomechanics and functional anatomy of the shoulder. In his book, FrameWork for the Shoulder, Dr. Nicholas DiNubile reveals how the shoulder can become imbalanced and damaged. He then goes on to outline an effective systematic plan for a healing and lifestyle program. This course covers everything from pre-exercise screening and individualized exercise advice to nutritional strategies for reducing pain, and fortifying the soft-tissue structures and bones of the shoulder.
You will learn:
- List the major components of the shoulder and how they work to contribute to motion, function and performance
- Distinguish between different types of shoulder injuries
- Discuss factors that contribute to shoulder pain and dysfunction
- Explain the importance of exercise and physical activity in functional and pain-reduction programs for the shoulder
- Perform a self-check test that identifies weak links in the chain of wellness
- Discuss common approaches and procedures used to treat individuals with diseases, injuries, and conditions of the shoulder
- Explain three levels of progressive exercise specific to improving shoulder function and health
In this online course based on the popular book by Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, FrameWork for the Lower Back: A 6-Step Plan for a Healthy Lower Back, 2nd Edition, you will learn why lower-back pain is a top health concern for many Americans today. Discover a step-by-step program for safely starting, maintaining and building a lifestyle and exercise routine designed to promote optimum spine function and health. You will also gain an understanding of performing pre-exercise screens and how to provide individualized exercise advice for reducing pain and fortifying the muscles, joints and bones of the lower back.
You will learn:
- Explain and debunk common myths about back pain
- List frequently reported back conditions and injuries
- Discuss factors that contribute to low-back pain
- Explain the importance of exercise and physical activity in functional and pain-reduction programs for the back
- Perform a self-check test that identifies weak links in the chain of wellness
- Discuss common approaches and procedures used to treat individuals with diseases, injuries and conditions of the back
- Explain four levels of progressive exercise specific to improving back health