Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is the science of applying beneficial movement to damaged or malfunctioning tissue. This can involve education in movement patterns effectively retraining the brain. It can involve hands on techniques designed to ease symptoms but also to restore best function. It can involve application of heat, cold and ultrasound energy. From stretching muscle joint and nerve to building up strength in weakened muscles.

2. Why do i need a Physiotherapist?
If you are injured or need some help bring out the best performance from your body, or simply to get some advice on your movement ability, a Physiotherapist is the best port of call. We are trained to diagnose and educate and we spend a good amount of time with you to answer questions and instruct.

It is clear that injuries left alone tend to progress to more persistent problems. A visit to your physio will help you find the right direction away from the unpleasant state of injury or poor function.

3. Has ACC stopped paying for Physio treatments?
NO. They still cover up to 75% of physiotherapy charges.

4. Do Physiotherapists only treat ACC clients?
NO. We treat a variety of conditions that are not related to accidents. Osteoarthritic joints benefit from strengthening and joint mobilisation techniques. Physiotherapists can advise on exercise for health, sports and work. We educate in posture, and can help improve the effects of poor postural habits. Physiotherapists can help with headaches, jaw problems, training core strength. Physiotherapists can help take sports people through pre-season sports training and injury prevention exercises.

5. Are Physiotherapists just the muscle people?
NO. To say that Physiotherapists are only the muscle specialists, whilst Chiropractors and Osteopaths are the spinal specialists is completely wrong. Physiotherapists are trained in the biomechanics, assessment and treatment of the spinal column. We are best qualified to manage the spinal injury because we are trained to understand the inner and outer workings of the spine, and preventative education afterwards. Physiotherapy philosophy is to return someone to full function without requiring them to become dependent on the treating professional. We take the time to ask questions and discover exactly what is going on in the patients tissues. It takes more than a click to get damaged tissue healing properly. It is also key to the physiotherapy approach that the patient is a partner in the recovery process rather than a subject.

Physiotherapy is based in evidence based scientific discovery. Robin McKenzie and Brian Mulligan are two physiotherapists from NZ who have revolutionised the treatment of the spine worldwide.

6. To come to a physiotherapist, do I have to visit my Doctor first?
NO. In the late 1990’s the government opened up ACC to physiotherapist diagnosis. After many years of GP’s being the gateway to treatment, physiotherapists were given the ability to generate ACC claims. It’s interesting that twelve years or so later, people still do not realise this fact. If you have an injury from an accident, you can come direct to us, and we will help you file your claim with ACC. Because we communicate electronically with ACC, it only takes a couple of days to receive confirmation of your injury. Your physiotherapist is qualified to recognise when an injury is or is not an accident so this will be established at the outset of treatment.

7. Do Physiotherapists do Massage?
YES. All physiotherapists are trained in Massage. Greg Bell studied Swedish massage as a special interest in his final year at AUT. Usually massage is applied as part of a recovery programme, but we can provide relaxation massage on request for private paying customers. The advantage in massage from a physio is you have the massage techniques from a professional skilled in diagnosis and with the understanding of pathology (when things go
wrong with the tissues).

8. Is Physiotherapy just for when I am injured?
NO. We are able to work with you in teaching injury prevention, good postural habits, workstation advice, safe lifting, or exercise for general health.

9. Will my Physiotherapy hurt me?
Part of diagnosis is identifying the tissues that are damaged. This will only present a momentary discomfort. After this our maxim is “do no harm”. Our treatments may at the most produce discomfort, but we are generally seeking to treat in a pain free way.

Sometimes exercise causes a “good” pain. Whatever is good usually takes some hard work to achieve.