Physiotherapy Students put to the test at 2018 Comrades Marathon

by Kegorapetse | Jun 25, 2018 | SMU Media

Running the Comrades Marathon, which ranks as the world’s biggest ultramarathon, is laden with health risks. Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has made medical teams permanent feature from the start of the race, all the way to the finish line, to attend to any medical emergencies. The 2018 Comrades Marathon, which was a down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, was no different, as it also boasted well-resourced medical facilities operated by capable medical teams, of which SMU’s 42 final year physiotherapy students, were a valuable part.

Along with physiotherapy students from participating universities, they worked tirelessly to heal the aching limbs of supreme athletes who ran the gruelling 90 km down.  Our students were accompanied by two lecturers, Ms Karabo Raphokwane and Ms Ntombenkosi Sobantu, who ably supervised them to honour their physiotherapy curricular commitments. This once in a lifetime experience, the students gained a wealth of service learning experience from exposure to sports injuries that the critical mass of athletes who were running the race, sustained.

“It is very hard to give exact figures of how many runners are using the physio services at expo, and on the day, it is huge. At the expo there were 17 beds and the runners got approximately 15 minutes massage each. The SMU students covered 2 shifts 18 in one and 19 in the other, the other 5 did a shift on the massage stand and did not massage at Kingsmead Stadium Expo. The shifts were 3hrs15mins and 2hrs45mins respectively, so 6 hours in total and there would be some doubling up on the beds with 2 students massaging at the same time because there were too many students to have a bed each”, said Ms Rowena Bower, the Comrades Marathon Physio services coordinator.

“On race day there were 40 beds and the massage and strapping students massaged solidly from 12pm to 3.30pm at 15 mins per massage. Their strapping shift on the stand was on Thursday evening and was for the 3hrs15mins. Generally the massages at expo were just to loosen up uninjured muscles. On race day there were multitudes of injuries such as ITB (Pain and inflammation on the outside of the knee) muscle strains, and general sore and aching bodies from running 90kms”, Ms Bower added.

“I did my 8th Comrades Marathon. I always look forward, after the race to the massage by the physiotherapists. The massage is great, feels good, compared to what we get after the race in Switzerland. The physios are great, they have knowledge and their human touch helps to feel great. Thanks very much”, enthused Mr Robben from Switzerland, who ran his 8th comrades marathon.

“I was able to work under pressure and also met final year students from other universities to learn new techniques from them. SMU students were stationed at the finish line, which must tell you, how good SMU physiotherapy students are because we get to share the same space with the winner of the comrades marathon and other top runners”, said Ms Khumo Leeto, SMU’s physiotherapy student.

Physiotherapy Students will carry the SMU flag high at the 2018 Comrades Marathon

by Kegorapetse | Jun 6, 2018 | SMU Media

Media Release

For Immediate Release

4 June 2018

Physiotherapy Students will carry the SMU flag high at the 2018 Comrades Marathon

Going to the 2018 Comrades Marathon for the 43 final year physiotherapy students rank as their career highlight. Supervised by physiotherapy lecturers, namely Ms K Raphokwane and Ms NA Sobantu, the students will be going to Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), on Wednesday 06^th June 2018, on what has become an annual pilgrimage, for these and other physiotherapy students from eight universities offering physiotherapy programmes.

However, these students are not going to run the 90 Kilometre down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. They will be at the 2018 Comrades Marathon to heal the aching limbs of the thousands of elite runners taking part in this ultimate race, as Comrades Marathon is commonly known.

By tending to thousands of the comrades marathon runners, these students will be reaping the benefits of exposure to a very diverse critical mass of super athletes who are limping and carrying all sorts of niggling injuries, to the race. They sustained these injuries during preparations to the race from which they need to heal so that they can be able to complete the gruelling race, win prizes for their hard work and the adulations of the masses of fans of the race.

The students will be working shifts. They will commence their work at the Kingsmead Stadium Expo Centre, in the Bonitas Medical Stand, on Thursday 07^th June 2018 from 15h30 to 19h30. On Friday 8^th June from 8h30 to 12h00 and then participate in the strapping and team spirit competition from 12h00 until 14h00. On Sunday, during the race, they will be stationed at the finish line of the race in Moses Mabhida Stadium, in the medical tent from morning until late afternoon.

They will be giving therapy to 21 213 registered athletes to expedite their healing after pounding their bodies for 90 kilometres, after the race. These students are a privileged lot. Whilst treating these super athletes, the students will also get the mandatory and requisite clinical exposure to a very wide spectrum of sports injuries, over four days. Ordinarily, the students would acquire this kind of experience over the years, practising as physiotherapists.

For these students, the Comrades Marathon platform enables them to fulfil their physiotherapy curricular obligations in which they are expected to accumulate in service learning experience from tending to their patients and also rendering community service for this community.

The students are not the only SMU community members who will be carrying the flag of SMU high, at this premier athletics event. They will be joined by the following staff members who will be sweating it out in the streets of KZN, namely – Dr Matsontso Mathebula, of the health and Wellness Department, Mr Patrick Motiang, the librarian, Mrs Queen Ziphethe, ITC department, Mr Modisa Khosie, librarian.

Released by the SMU Marketing & Communication
Contact Dr Eric Pule, the Director, Marketing & Communication
Phone 012 521 4563

Court Order

by Kegorapetse | Jun 1, 2018 | SMU Media

Court order issued in the matter between Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and some of its employees. More details regarding the order, please follow this link: https://www.smu.ac.za/download/7529/