A profile of Biokinetics service provided by the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, 2005-2009

Abstract

Biokinetics can be viewed as an emerging member of the South African health professions in comparison to the longstanding professions of physiotherapy, chiropractics and occupational therapy which were established in 1924, 1939 and 1945, respectively. The aim of this investigation was to determine the profile of the biokinetics services provided by the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. All the patient records of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal’s biokinetics practice were categorized as follows: nature of biokinetics service provided and year of service rendered for the period of January, 2005-December, 2009. Descriptive statistics comprising mode, mean, frequency and percentages were calculated. The results indicated a 103.71% growth trend in the number of patient consultations from 2005 (n=889) to 2009 (n=1811). The primary services rendered by this biokinetics practice in order of prevalence were: health and wellness (68.07%), pre-participation assessments (17.84%), rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries (7.46%), sports evaluation of highly trained and/or elite athletes (2.70%), rehabilitation of hypokinetic disease conditions (2.38%), and rehabilitation of cardiac diseases (1.54%). There has been evidence of cross referrals for patients with cardiac and musculoskeletal dysfunction from cardiologists and orthopaedic surgeons, respectively.

Key words: Biokinetics, rehabilitation, injury.