Joanita Smit Biokineticist

Joanita Smit Biokineticist JS Bio works on orthopedic and clinical rehabilitation, with a focus on individual sessions.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually damages the nerve cells responsible for memory, think...
01/09/2026

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually damages the nerve cells responsible for memory, thinking, behaviour and everyday functioning. It is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for approximately 60-70% of dementia cases. Around 57 million people worldwide live with dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases occurring each year.

There is no single cause. Alzheimer’s involves abnormal changes within the brain, including the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau proteins, which interfere with communication between brain cells and eventually contribute to their death. Genetics, ageing, cardiovascular health and environmental and lifestyle factors can all influence a person's risk.

Age is the strongest known risk factor, with Alzheimer’s occurring predominantly in adults over 65, although younger onset disease does occur. Women are disproportionately affected by dementia. Risk is also influenced by family history and genetics, while potentially modifiable factors include physical inactivity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, poor sleep, social isolation, hearing loss and previous traumatic brain injury or stroke.

Common early signs can include increasing difficulty remembering recent information, repeating questions, losing items, difficulty finding words, confusion regarding time or place, poorer judgement and increasing difficulty completing familiar everyday tasks.

Physical activity cannot guarantee that Alzheimer's will be prevented, but it is one of the important modifiable factors associated with better brain health and a lower risk of dementia. Exercise increases blood and oxygen delivery to the brain while also helping manage blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, body weight and sleep, all of which can influence brain health. WHO estimates that regular physical activity is associated with a 28-32% lower risk of dementia.

For people already living with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease, appropriately prescribed exercise may also help maintain physical function and independence, improve mood and sleep, reduce falls and potentially slow decline in thinking abilities.

Exercise does not need to be complicated. Walking, cycling, swimming, resistance exercises and balance training can all form part of an active lifestyle. The goal is not only to add years to life, but to help preserve the ability to move, participate and remain independent for as long as possible.

An accredited Biokineticist can prescribe safe, individualised exercise according to a person's physical ability, medical conditions and stage of cognitive decline.

Consult an accredited Biokineticist to receive assistance in the form of rehabilitative exercises and patient education to help manage recovery from your condition and assist with activities of daily living.

Heart failure is a chronic condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. This can l...
25/08/2026

Heart failure is a chronic condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. This can lead to reduced oxygen delivery and a build up of fluid in the lungs, legs or abdomen.

Heart failure usually develops because another condition has damaged or placed excessive strain on the heart. Common causes include coronary artery disease or a previous heart attack, longstanding high blood pressure, heart valve disease, cardiomyopathy and abnormal heart rhythms. Globally, ischaemic heart disease is the leading underlying cause, followed by hypertensive heart disease.

Common symptoms include shortness of breath, particularly during activity or when lying flat, unusual fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, swollen feet or ankles, rapid weight gain from fluid retention and sometimes a persistent cough.

Recent Global Burden of Disease estimates suggest approximately 55.5 million people worldwide were living with heart failure in 2021.

Heart failure becomes dramatically more common with age. In developed countries it affects roughly 1-3% of adults, but prevalence rises to more than 10% after age 70 and may exceed 30% after age 85. Both men and women develop heart failure, although the type and underlying causes can differ between the sexes.

Heart failure is a serious condition, but appropriate medication, management of contributing conditions and individualised exercise or cardiac rehabilitation can help improve functional capacity and quality of life. Exercise should be introduced according to the individual's condition and medical recommendations.

An accredited Biokineticist can assist medically stable patients with appropriately prescribed exercise to improve cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and the ability to perform everyday activities.

Consult an accredited Biokineticist to receive assistance in the form of rehabilitative exercises and patient education to help manage recovery from your condition and assist with activities of daily living.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is an operation used to improve blood flow to the heart when one or more coronary...
22/08/2026

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is an operation used to improve blood flow to the heart when one or more coronary arteries have become severely narrowed or blocked. A healthy blood vessel from the chest, arm or leg is used to create a new pathway, or “bypass”, around the blockage, allowing oxygen rich blood to reach the heart muscle again.

The most common cause is coronary artery disease, where fatty plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. CABG may be recommended when there are multiple significantly narrowed arteries, disease of the important left main coronary artery, persistent angina despite other treatment, or when the pattern of disease makes bypass surgery more appropriate than angioplasty and stenting.

Risk factors for developing coronary artery disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, increasing age and family history.

CABG is most commonly performed in middle aged and older adults and considerably more often in men. African research involving more than 10,000 CABG patients found an average age of approximately 58 years, with almost 74% being men. Around 64% had hypertension, 45% diabetes and 67% high cholesterol.

CABG restores blood supply, but it does not cure the underlying coronary artery disease. Long term recovery therefore includes medication and management of blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, nutrition and physical activity.

Cardiac rehabilitation and supervised exercise are important parts of recovery, helping patients gradually rebuild cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, confidence and independence after surgery.

Consult an accredited Biokineticist to receive assistance in the form of rehabilitative exercises and patient education to help manage recovery from your condition and assist with activities of daily living.

Leg pain, swelling or unusual sensations can have many different causes. Here are 9 common conditions and how they diffe...
18/08/2026

Leg pain, swelling or unusual sensations can have many different causes. Here are 9 common conditions and how they differ:

1️⃣ Muscle strain
Usually occurs when muscle fibres are overstretched or torn during sport, exercise or sudden movements. Symptoms include localised pain, tenderness, weakness and sometimes swelling or bruising. Muscle strains are among the most common sporting injuries, particularly in running and field sports.

2️⃣ Sciatica
Occurs when a nerve root contributing to the sciatic nerve becomes irritated or compressed, commonly due to a lumbar disc problem or spinal narrowing. Pain may travel from the lower back or buttock down the leg and can be accompanied by tingling, numbness or weakness. Sciatica is estimated to affect roughly 10-40% of people during their lifetime, depending on how it is defined.

3️⃣ Varicose veins
Develop when valves within the veins become less effective, allowing blood to pool in the legs. Visible twisted veins, aching, heaviness and swelling are common. Varicose veins affect a substantial proportion of adults and become increasingly common with age, pregnancy and prolonged standing.

4️⃣ Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
A DVT is a blood clot within a deep vein, usually in the leg. It may cause one sided swelling, warmth, redness and pain, although some DVTs cause few symptoms. Incidence increases dramatically with age; one review found about 20 cases per 10,000 people per year among people in their 70s.

5️⃣ Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
PAD occurs when narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the legs, usually because of atherosclerosis. A classic symptom is calf pain during walking that improves with rest. Approximately 114 million people worldwide were living with PAD in 2021.

6️⃣ Cellulitis
This is a bacterial infection of the deeper layers of the skin, often entering through a cut, wound or other break in the skin. The area typically becomes red, hot, swollen and tender, sometimes with fever. It is particularly common in middle aged and older adults.

7️⃣ Leg oedema
Swelling occurs when excess fluid accumulates in the tissues. Causes range from prolonged sitting and venous problems to heart, kidney or lymphatic conditions. Around 19-20% of older US adults in one large study reported persistent swelling of the feet or ankles.

8️⃣ Knee osteoarthritis
OA involves changes to the cartilage, bone and other structures within the knee, commonly causing pain, stiffness and reduced mobility. It becomes more common with age and is more prevalent in women. Globally, knee OA affects an estimated 23% of people over 40.

9️⃣ Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Persistently elevated blood glucose can damage peripheral nerves, particularly those supplying the feet and legs. Symptoms include burning, tingling, numbness, altered sensation and sometimes pain. Recent pooled research estimates that approximately 36% of people with diabetes have diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Although many leg problems are musculoskeletal, not all leg pain should be treated as a muscle or joint injury. Sudden one sided swelling, unexplained warmth or redness, severe pain, shortness of breath or chest pain requires prompt medical assessment.

Consult an accredited Biokineticist to receive assistance in the form of rehabilitative exercises and patient education to help manage recovery from your condition and assist with activities of daily living.

Coronary angioplasty, also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is a minimally invasive procedure used to op...
11/08/2026

Coronary angioplasty, also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is a minimally invasive procedure used to open a narrowed or blocked artery supplying the heart. A small balloon is inflated inside the artery and, in most cases, a stent is inserted to help keep it open.

The most common reason for this is coronary artery disease, where fatty deposits (atherosclerosis) narrow the coronary arteries and reduce blood flow to the heart. Angioplasty may be performed urgently during a heart attack to restore blood flow, or in selected patients with significant coronary narrowing and persistent angina despite appropriate medication.

The need for angioplasty largely follows the demographics of coronary artery disease. Risk increases with age and is associated with smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity and family history.

Access is also an important issue in South Africa. One national study identified only 62 PCI-capable facilities, equivalent to approximately one facility per 887,000 people, with particularly limited access in some provinces.

✅ Advantages
- Restores blood flow to heart muscle quickly.
- Can significantly relieve angina.
- Can limit heart muscle damage when performed promptly during certain heart attacks.
- Less invasive than open heart bypass surgery.
- Usually involves a relatively short hospital stay and recovery period.

⚠️ Disadvantages/risks
- Although generally safe, complications can include bleeding or bruising at the catheter site, blood-vessel damage, abnormal heart rhythms, kidney problems from contrast dye, allergic reactions, blood clots within the stent, or re-narrowing of the artery.
- Medication, particularly antiplatelet therapy, is therefore an important part of care following many PCI procedures.

Angioplasty treats the narrowed artery but does not cure the underlying atherosclerosis. Long term management still requires controlling cardiovascular risk factors through medication where prescribed, not smoking, a heart-healthy diet and regular appropriate exercise.

Following clearance from your medical team, an accredited Biokineticist can assist with gradually rebuilding cardiovascular fitness, strength and confidence as part of cardiac rehabilitation.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological condition that can significantly affect sleep and quality of life.RLS aff...
07/08/2026

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological condition that can significantly affect sleep and quality of life.

RLS affects approximately 5-10% of adults worldwide. Around 2-3% experience symptoms severe enough to require medical treatment. Women are affected about twice as often as men. The condition becomes more common with increasing age, although it can occur at any age, even in children. RLS is also more common during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester, with symptoms often improving after delivery.

The exact cause isn't fully understood, but research suggests it is linked to problems with dopamine, a brain chemical involved in movement. Several factors can increase the risk, including:
- Low iron stores (iron deficiency).
- Chronic kidney disease.
- Diabetes and peripheral neuropathy.
- Pregnancy.
- Family history (genetics).
- Certain medications, including some antihistamines, antidepressants and anti-nausea medications.

Common symptoms:
- An irresistible urge to move the legs.
- Crawling, tingling, pulling or aching sensations.
- Symptoms are worse during rest or when sitting or lying down.
- Symptoms become more noticeable in the evening or at night.
- Temporary relief with walking, stretching or moving the legs.
- Difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep quality and daytime fatigue.

Regular moderate exercise may reduce symptoms for many people by improving circulation, sleep quality and overall nerve health. Gentle stretching, walking and maintaining a regular sleep routine can also help. However, very intense exercise late in the evening may worsen symptoms in some individuals.

Consult an accredited Biokineticist to receive assistance in the form of rehabilitative exercises and patient education to help manage recovery from your condition and assist with activities of daily living.

As we age, our balance naturally declines due to changes in muscle strength, vision, reaction time and the inner ear. Wh...
04/08/2026

As we age, our balance naturally declines due to changes in muscle strength, vision, reaction time and the inner ear. While this is a normal part of ageing, it is not something you have to accept. The good news is that balance can be improved at almost any age with the right exercise.

1 in 3 adults over 65 experiences at least one fall each year. Falls are the second leading cause of accidental injury related deaths worldwide. Around 20-30% of older adults who fall sustain injuries that reduce mobility and independence. Hip fractures are one of the most serious consequences. Only 40-60% of people regain their previous level of independence after a hip fracture, and many require long term assistance. Research shows that structured balance and strength training can reduce fall risk by up to 23-30%.

Poor balance increases the risk of:
- Falls and fractures.
- Loss of confidence.
- Fear of walking or leaving the house.
- Reduced independence.
- Hospitalisation and long recovery periods.

Balance isn't just about standing on one leg, it's a skill that can be trained.

Regular exercise focusing on:
- Leg strength.
- Balance and coordination.
- Walking confidence.
- Core stability.

These help you react more quickly, recover from trips, and stay independent for longer.

Growing older doesn't have to mean becoming less mobile. Investing a little time in balance training today can help you stay active, confident and independent for years to come.

Consult an accredited Biokineticist to receive assistance in the form of rehabilitative exercises and patient education to help manage recovery from your condition and assist with activities of daily living.

Training breaks your body down. Sleep is when it rebuilds. Whether you're an athlete, recovering from an injury, or simp...
31/07/2026

Training breaks your body down. Sleep is when it rebuilds. Whether you're an athlete, recovering from an injury, or simply trying to stay healthy, getting enough quality sleep is one of the most powerful recovery strategies available.

During sleep your body:
- Repairs muscles, tendons and other tissues.
- Consolidates learning, memory and motor skills.
- Strengthens your immune system.
- Restores energy stores for the next day.
- Releases important hormones, including growth hormone, which supports tissue repair and recovery.
- Improves mood, concentration and reaction time.

Adults (18-64 years) need 7-9 hours per night. Older adults (65+) need 7-8 hours per night. Teenagers (14-17 years) need 8-10 hours per night. Athletes or people recovering from injury may benefit from 8-10 hours, particularly during periods of intense training.

Research has shown that poor sleep can:
- Reduce strength, power and endurance.
- Slow reaction time and decision making.
- Increase the risk of illness.
- Delay muscle and tissue healing.
- Increase the risk of injury.

Athletes sleeping less than 8 hours per night have been shown to have around a 1.7 times greater risk of injury than those who sleep longer.

Exercise provides the stimulus for improvement, but sleep is where the adaptation happens. If you consistently sacrifice sleep, you may be limiting your performance, slowing your recovery, and increasing your risk of injury.

Consult an accredited Biokineticist to receive assistance in the form of rehabilitative exercises and patient education to help manage recovery from your condition and assist with activities of daily living.

Inflammation is your body's natural response to injury or infection. In the short term, it's essential for healing. Howe...
20/07/2026

Inflammation is your body's natural response to injury or infection. In the short term, it's essential for healing. However, when inflammation becomes chronic, it can contribute to many long-term health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and certain cancers.

The good news? Regular exercise is one of the most effective natural ways to reduce chronic inflammation.

When you exercise regularly, your muscles release substances called myokines. These act as natural anti-inflammatory messengers that help regulate your immune system and reduce excessive inflammation throughout the body.

Exercise also:
- Lowers body fat, which produces inflammatory chemicals.
- mproves insulin sensitivity, helping regulate blood sugar.
- Improves circulation, allowing immune cells and nutrients to move more efficiently.
- Reduces oxidative stress, which can damage healthy cells.
- Helps lower chronically elevated inflammatory markers over time.

Chronic inflammation is thought to contribute to most major non-communicable diseases, which account for approximately 74% of deaths worldwide. Around 1 in 3 adults globally has elevated inflammatory risk factors associated with overweight or obesity. Research consistently shows that people who perform 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week have significantly lower levels of chronic inflammatory markers than sedentary individuals. Even 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise can temporarily stimulate anti-inflammatory responses, with the greatest long term benefits occurring when exercise becomes a regular habit.

While moderate, regular exercise reduces inflammation, very intense exercise without adequate recovery can temporarily increase inflammation. This is a normal part of the body's repair process. The key is finding the right balance between exercise and recovery.

Almost any form of regular physical activity can reduce chronic inflammation:
- Walking
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Resistance training
- Yoga and Pilates
- Dancing

The most important factor is consistency, not intensity.

Consult an accredited Biokineticist to receive assistance in the form of rehabilitative exercises and patient education to help manage recovery from your condition and assist with activities of daily living.

Address

Steve Biko 132
Potchefstroom
2522

Opening Hours

Monday 07:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 07:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 07:00 - 17:00
Thursday 07:00 - 17:00
Friday 07:00 - 16:00

Telephone

+27820495536

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