The Pain-Free Movement Specialist
L1 Online Course
The Pain-Free Movement Specialist Course is designed for fitness professionals who want to transform their clients’ lives by addressing chronic pain through movement. Created by biomechanics expert Anthony Carey, this course teaches an evidence-based approach to assess and correct movement dysfunctions that contribute to pain. You’ll learn how to create personalized, corrective exercise programs that help clients move better, reduce pain, and enhance performance. The course includes hands-on training, detailed assessments, and practical tools, empowering you to confidently work with individuals experiencing pain. As a certified Pain-Free Movement Specialist, you’ll not only deepen your understanding of movement mechanics but also make a lasting impact on your clients’ well-being, helping them achieve pain-free, functional movement for life.
This is an online, self-paced course delivered by Anthony Carey
All materials are delivered digitally – through a variety of digital mediums, including written material, video narrated slide presentations, videos of sample exercises, sample forms, and more.
Comprehension of the material will be measured via a mandatory competency assessment requiring a minimum of 80% correct responses.
Course Author: Anthony Carey
Course Length: 12 Hours
Overview
This online course is specifically designed for those wishing to work with individuals in pain.
The Level 1 has six modules, all of which are the foundation that the Pain-Free Movement Specialist (PFMS) stands on. There are 14 hours of video content, webinars, PDF’s and including Anthony’s book,
How to help eliminate pain by addressing the body as a whole, and that pain is unique to each individual.
The only exercise-based program designed specifically using a Biopyschosocial approach
How pain affects the balance of your clients’ physical biology, social interaction, and psychological state
How to coach exercise sequencing in a given session based on the clients biological, psychological and emotional readiness.
How to progress your clients through changing movement patterns and build on their success.
Functional Anatomy & Biomechanics I The sensory Motor Unit
Module 1: Functional Anatomy & Biomechanics: A Unified View
- Traditional anatomy and biomechanics have looked at human movement primarily through an isolated frame of reference. In this module, both Anthony and Kevin describe how understanding’ functional’ anatomy and whole-body biomechanics is essential for the movement and manual practitioner to comprehend, and the profound results this understanding can have with any client, patient or athlete.
Module 2: The Sensory Motor System
- In an effort to simplify the understanding of human movement, traditional perspectives take stability and mobility and separate them into two completely independent entities. In actuality, stability and mobility never work in isolation. The nervous system is decidedly sophisticated and to comprehend how stability and mobility work together as an interdependent system, one must appreciate how the body gathers information, interprets it and then produces an appropriate response. This intricate process takes place via the sensory-motor system. In this module, Anthony elaborates on the power of the nervous system and dives deep into the principles behind a body-wide “software” system which is essential for understanding sensory-motor integration.
Module 3: Coaching Necessities
- What does a successful corrective intervention look like to the client in pain and how can we understand and appreciate how they’ve defined it? A skilled practitioner recognizes how to promptly develop a working relationship with their clientele to understand and appreciate how pain has negatively impacted an individual’s thoughts, feelings and beliefs regarding their movement. Kevin Murray and international speaker Bobby Cappuccio share their expertise on the two domains of relationship; the intrapersonal affiliation we have with ourselves and the interpersonal relationship we must learn how to develop with our clients.
Module 4: The Function First Approach to the Client & Pain
- What is pain? What purpose does it serve? How is it the exact same situation can be painful for one person and not another? Here’s the truth: pain is highly complex. There is no “one size fits all” approach. And working with individuals in chronic pain demands a foundational understanding of the biological, psychological and social factors that influence and contribute to an individual’s pain experience. In this module, Anthony will explain pain from a three-dimensional science-based perspective, moving far beyond the traditional lens of muscles and meridians into a vastly more robust and comprehensive analysis.
Module 5: The Function First Approach to Movement Assessments
- Written within each of our clients are particular events and circumstances that influence their quality of movement and overall function. The assessment process in this module is fundamental to uncovering what is behind each individual’s unique movement profile. Because what’s “functional” is always specific to the individual, determining which corrective exercises are best suited for a client’s movement autonomy comes from the information gathered through the movement assessments. Anthony maps the Function First Approach to movement assessments and lays the foundation to understanding and interpreting the results.
Module 6: Corrective Exercise Programming Essentials
- Founded on the premise that true restoration and pain-free living lie in addressing the body as a ‘whole’. When it comes to exercise selection and program design, nothing should be left to chance. There must be an ultimate purpose and clear end in mind when selecting exercises and designing corrective programs. Ascending a client through their exercise program from the cognitive to autonomic phases of motor learning provides an optimal environment for clients to maximize their quality of movement. Being able to justify the biomechanical, neurological, physiological and psychological aspects of programming is what elevates a Pain-Free Movement Specialist into an elite category of movement expertise. Within this module, Anthony will expand on the science, principles and framework behind what makes the Function First Approach to corrective exercise programming so successful.
Pre-Requisites
Certification
renewals
course author
Anthony Carey is the founder of Function First, a leading pain-relief and corrective exercise facility in San Diego, California. With over 25 years of experience, he specializes in helping clients overcome chronic pain through individualized movement solutions. He holds a master’s degree in biomechanics and is the creator of the Pain-Free Movement Specialist Certification, educating fitness professionals on effective pain management strategies.
A recognized thought leader, Anthony is a sought-after speaker at conferences and workshops, as well as a contributor to various industry publications. His philosophy integrates evidence-based biomechanics with functional training principles, empowering clients to regain mobility and enhance performance. At Function First, Anthony remains committed to helping individuals move better and live pain-free. Anthony is also the Inventor of the innovative Cortex technology, designed to assess movement patterns and improve functional outcomes.
Perform Better Pro-Ed (previously QPEC) has a combined 70+ years experience in the Health and Fitness industry.
Perform Better Pro-Ed (previously QPEC) has a combined 70+ years experience in the Health and Fitness industry.