The Profession of Biokinetics in South Africa: The Need for Access to the Public Healthcare System

Abstract

This chapter reviews the efficacy of the only South African exercise therapy profession (Biokinetics) in the rehabilitation of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Biokinetics is a South African exercise therapy profession established in 1983 and which operates in both the pathogenic and fortogenic healthcare paradigms. Unfortunately, the profession of Biokinetics is restricted to the South African private healthcare sector. This chapter describes the scope of the profession of Biokinetics, empirical studies illustrating the efficacy of the profession in addressing society's non-communicable disease epidemic, and the challenges inhibiting the profession from gaining access to the South African public health-care sector. It is hoped that the presentation and critical appraisal of the empirical evidence which illustrates the contribution of the profession of Biokinetics to the rehabilitation of NCDs justifies the authors' claims for the inclusion of the afore-mentioned profession in the South African public healthcare sector.