What is Biokinetics?

BIO (life) + KINETICS (movement) = Life Through Movement

A Biokineticist is a health professional registered under the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPSCA) and operates within the pathogenic (illness) and fortogenic (wellbeing promotion) health paradigms.

The profession is a specialized discipline and exercise is its main modality of treatment. By means of individualized testing, the Biokineticist prescribes scientifically-based exercise programs to treat and prevent non-communicable diseases and offer final phase orthopedic pre-and postoperative rehabilitation. The Biokineticist also plays an essential role in the promotion of physical activity, the prevention of diseases and orthopedic injuries in children, geriatric, and pre -and post-natal populations.

“Physical activity as a therapeutic modality has been prescribed by health professionals for various ailments since ancient times. Research has proved this positive relationship and recent initiatives suggest that exercise should be prescribed just as medicine or any drug would be – the so-called “Exercise is Medicine” initiative in the USA at present. In an equally important way physical activity serves a pivotal role in health promotion. This implies that biokinetics, which is the profession mainly using scientifically prescribed exercise as a modality, serves in both thepathogenic as well as the fortogenic health paradigms. The pathogenic paradigm refers to either the presence of an illness (ill care) or to the threat of an illness (illness prevention). In both of these constructs pathology is of key importance. In the fortogenic paradigm (health promotion) the focus primarily falls on improving the strong points with no threat of pathology. However, these constructs are not isolated, but interact intimately with each other. This can be illustrated by means of a schematic diagram. biokinetics as the profession using exercise and physical activity as the primary modality of treatment, therefore, is closely linked to the various constructs. This implies that referral to the biokineticist may come from the clinical as well as the non-clinical environment and that the biokineticist, as a professional who is registered with the HPCSA, should ensure working within the scope of the ethical rules.

~ Strydom, G., Wilders, C., Moss, S. and Bruwer, E., 2010. A conceptual framework of Biokinetic procedures and referral system: An integrated protocol for the various health paradigms. African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance, 15(4). What is Biokinetics?

Biokinetics services under Bianca Bloemhof Biokineticist:

• Chronic Muscular Pain Management (tension-type and cervicogenic induced headaches including migraines, joint and muscle pain, postural fatigue)
• Neurologic Rehab (Parkinson’s, stroke, fibromyalgia, transverse myelitis, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre)
• Chronic Disease Pain Management (chronic pain disorder, arthritis, chronic overlapping pain conditions)
• Orthopedic Injury Management (neck, shoulder, wrist, upper and lower back, hip, ankle injuries as well as preoperative and postoperative rehabilitation)
• Health Promotion & Disease Management (obesity, hypertension, diabetes, geriatrics, pre -and post-natal, post-polio syndrome, NCD’s arthritic conditions)
• Gross Motor Skills Development (cerebral palsy, low muscle tone, hypermobility syndrome, ADHD)