A biokineticist is a professionally qualified, specialised exercise therapist registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in 1983 and recognised by all major medical aids in South Africa.
A biokineticist seeks to improve a person's physical conditioning and quality of life through individual assessment and personalised exercise prescription in both clinical pathology and performance enhancement.
The biokinetics qualification combines a four year post graduate (honours) degree with one years’ internship, supervised by a registered Biokinetics practitioner.
Conditions most often encountered included sporting injuries (such as strains and sprains); dislocations and fractures; sport performance enhancement; weight management; chronic disease management (such as diabetes; high cholesterol and blood pressure); stroke; nerve disorders; back, shoulder, hip and knee pain and repetitive strain injuries such as tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Referrals come from a variety of sources including, doctors’, allied medical professionals and through self-referral. Patients will initially undergo a comprehensive assessment which will determine whether the patient has poor cardiovascular function, muscle weakness and imbalances, inflexibility, instability or poor neuromuscular co-ordination.
The treating biokineticist will then prescribe and assist with an exercise programme based on clinical reasoning and available clinical knowledge to rectify discrepancies. Patients will be educated regarding their injury/condition and given home exercises programmes to be completed in conjunction with supervised treatment sessions such that they may be confident in continuing sports or daily activities while pain free and with reduced likelihood of re-injury.
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