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BIOKINETICIST
“ Buzzword or movement specialist you never knew you needed?” By LEAH ACAMPORA
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is a biokineticist? Simply put, a bio (as they are commonly referred to) is a specialist who is concerned with movement, more specifically, human movement and how we move throughout our lifetimes.
Bio - kinetic - ist. - “Bio” refers to life/living things. - “kinesis” is the Greek root word for “motion or movement.” - “ist” represents someone who is concerned with something There are many specialists in the field of health & medicine, think cardiologist for matters concerned with your heart and endocrinologists who seek to understand your hormones - the chemical messengers who “run the show”. Biokineticists are interested in how your body is formed and how it functions as a result. Everything in your body is connected and interdependent - not necessarily directly but one fluctuation in a factor affecting your homeostatic state will certainly influence another. Movement is a factor that directly influences your ability to participate in life. Think about someone who is very active, versus someone who leads a sedentary lifestyle or someone who is able bodied versus someone who has a disability to consider when making decisions. Many factors in a lifetime will influence how you move; you are born structurally unique, your DNA is yours and yours alone and then we have to consider your upbringing, lifestyle choices and of course, the happenstance of life. Every human body is literally one-of-a-kind, but there are also similarities that are true to all of us.
Biokineticists apply the knowledge of what they’ve been taught in theory, and over time, develop a skill set - which they acquire through curiosity, practice and experience - to understand the balances that exist between what is completely unique and what is universal in the human movement experience, so that they can help their patients move WELL and enjoy meaningful lives, filled with many options and few limitations. Biokineticits have unique interests and speciality fields that they may tend towards in their careers. You have bio’s who specialize in assisting patients with their post-operative rehabilitation, this involves work aimed at regaining fine & gross motor skills, improving mobility, coordination and perceived pain. Some bio’s tend towards special population groups and their needs; the elderly, pregnant mothers and people with disabilities to name a few. 56
