Brümilda Swartbooi
Tucked behind the Helderkruin Clinic, Region C proudly hosts the City’s only public Biokinetics Centre. Located on Pheasant Street in Roodepoort, this facility is elevating public health and championing healthy lifestyles through exercise-based interventions.
Biokinetics focuses on improving physical functioning and overall healthcare through scientifically based physical activity, encompassing health promotion, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement.
Rhandzu Maphophe, the centre’s Operations Manager and Biokineticist, underlines the profound impact of physical activity on health, highlighting the vital role of biokinetics services.
“Biokinetics is a medically recognised professional discipline, applying scientifically based physical activity to either help prevent disease or to do final phase rehabilitation following the onset of disease,” explains Maphophe.
“Essentially, it improves quality of life through exercise. We work with patients pre- and post-operation, commonly six weeks after, forming part of the final phase of rehabilitation.”
The centre prioritises equipping patients with improved fitness for a healthy lifestyle under the supervision of qualified Biokineticists and a Professional Nurse. Maphophe notes the positive transformation observed in patients’ overall health, adding, “Most people don’t just benefit physically; they also benefit socially.”
Beyond general fitness, the centre provides crucial support for individuals with uncontrolled chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. It also caters to special populations including the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with special needs, offering tailored health promotion and exercise-based interventions. The facility is well-equipped with a range of cardio machines, treadmills, bicycles, steppers, leg press machines, and weights, alongside a sauna available on request.
Maphophe stresses the centre’s core mission: “We promote exercise as a medicine to support health professionals in incorporating exercise as disease prevention and treatment strategies.”
She advocates for integrating biokinetics into the primary healthcare system, stating it would “leverage the Biokinetics expertise in using exercise as a treatment modality to help address non-communicable diseases [NCDs] and promote overall well-being. Using exercise as a treatment modality is a cost-effective alternative to medication for managing NCDs and improving quality of life.”
Maphophe believes the inclusion of Biokineticists can alleviate the workload on other healthcare professionals. She suggests that Biokineticists should collaborate closely with doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians, and others to implement comprehensive healthcare plans and demonstrate a reduction in medication dependence.
With a dedicated staff of five — a Professional Nurse, Admin Officer, two Biokineticists, and a General Worker — the centre serves approximately 600 patients monthly, with daily attendance reaching up to 80. It maintains a strong working relationship with the adjacent Helderkruin Clinic, handling the majority of patient referrals.
Having operated for over four decades, the centre has garnered a reputation that draws patients from as far as Dobsonville and other regions across Johannesburg. When not at the clinic, staff actively participate in community outreaches and wellness projects with the broader health sector.
Region C’s Biokinetics Centre is open Monday to Thursday from 7:30am to 4:30pm and Fridays from 7:30am to 1pm. For more information, please contact the centre on 011 764 2837.
SOURCED FROM THE JOBURG.ORG.ZA
