What Is Biokinetics?

What is biokintics and how and biokineticist can help you.

Detailed description of Biokinetics:

Biokinetics can be explained as life through movement. Bio means life and kinetics refers to how that life (human) moves. It is the medical profession that deals with fixing problems related to movement. This includes injury, chronic disease and operations.

History of Biokinetics:

Keeping it short and sweet, Biokinetics originated in the 1920s when the South African Defence Force realised that their intake was weak and in poor physical condition. A task force was formed to implement performance enhancing exercises to ready boys for the military.

In the 1960s official research was released proving the therapeutic effects of movement and Biokinetics was only officially registered as a Health profession in the 1980s.

This proudly South African profession has grown in leaps and bounds and is now found in Australia, New Zealand and England to name a few. How do they say “The rest is history”.

What do Biokineticists do?

Biokineticists assess and treat physical conditions by applying exercise as treatment modality. The assessment and treatment plan will vary depending on the person and the impairment.
Exercises are always patient specific and specialized and consider comorbidities and/or complications to get the best healing response.

Is a Biokineticist a doctor?

A Biokineticist is not a doctor, however a minimum Honours degree is required to practice as a Biokineticist. It takes approximately five years of study to qualify, including a year of internship, and all Biokineticists must register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa; like physiotherapists and doctors. We also claim from medical aid like the other professions using our own industry specific codes.

When should I see a Biokineticist?

From a Bio’s point of view, suffering with chronic pain is unnecessary. Biokinetics’ scope of practice deals with that ongoing back, knee, neck, shoulder pain that you have been struggling with for months or even years. We also treat patients with Parkinson’s disease and related neurological disorders. Heart disease or bypass clients can regain their quality of life.

We have a special love for wheelchair patients as well as cerebral palsy. We basically improve peoples function no matter where you find yourself on the paradigm of functionality, from elite athlete to paraplegic-to-paraplegic athlete. Rest assured bring any physical challenge to a Bio and we feel right at home in helping you overcome it.

What is the difference between a Biokineticist and a physiotherapist?

Physiotherapists deal with pain, in hospital- and post operative care. Biokineticists often take over from Physios once they have stabilised the patient to a point where they are ready for a progressive programme to regain full function.

Physios’ scope of practice deals with 80% hands on care such as dry needling, ultrasound or mobilisation and 20% exercises, whereas Bios deal with 20% mobilisation and 80% exercises/ movement therapy.

What can Biokineticists help with?

Here is a list of conditions that Bios can help with:

  • Neurological/Chronic disease:
    • Parkinson’s disease
    • Stroke
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Cancer after chemotherapy
    • Cerebral palsy
    • Brain injury
  • Orthopaedic conditions:
    • Back or neck pain
    • Any joint pain such as arthritis
    • Muscle, tendon or joint pain related to sports injury or overuse
    • Post operative rehabilitation

What is a Biokinetic assessment?

When attending an assessment with a Biokineticist you can expect thorough investigation. We are trained to assess and quantify injury/disability and to express those results in a palatable form so that patients understand what the treatment plan will entail to address their issues.

We document medical history, assess posture, perform quantifiable strength assessments using specialised equipment and assess parameters such as functionality, flexibility and body composition.

Bios can identify underlying cause without much medical imagery (x-ray) because we are trained to identify problems via a process of elimination using special tests done in the practice. If you don’t like needles or invasive treatment methods you are in luck because all our treatments are conservative but highly effective.


If you believe a Biokineticists can help you please CONTACT OUR HIGHLY QUAILIFIED TEAM to see how we can help you improve your life through movement.

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