ACC Physio in East Auckland: Sports, Work and Everyday Injuries

Looking for ACC physio in East Auckland? If you have been hurt in an accident, playing sport, at work or at home, you can book straight in with an ACC-registered physiotherapist. You do not need a GP referral, and your physio can lodge the ACC claim for you at your first appointment.

AZ Physiotherapy Limited provides ACC and private physiotherapy from our clinic in Pakuranga, East Auckland. This guide explains what ACC physio covers, what happens at your first appointment, and the injuries we see most often from Pakuranga, Howick, Highland Park, Botany and nearby suburbs.

What is ACC physiotherapy?

ACC (the Accident Compensation Corporation) supports anyone in New Zealand who is injured in an accident, including visitors. If your injury is covered, ACC contributes towards the cost of treatment, and physiotherapy is one of the treatments it helps pay for.

Physiotherapists are among the registered providers who can lodge an ACC injury claim (called an ACC45). That means a physio can assess you, decide whether the injury fits ACC's rules and start the claim during the same appointment.

Is ACC physio free in East Auckland?

Not automatically. ACC pays part of each appointment and you may pay the rest, often called a surcharge or co-payment. ACC recommends asking your provider what you will pay before treatment starts.

At AZ Physiotherapy, an ACC appointment costs $35 for a 45-minute first assessment and $30 for a 30-minute follow-up. For a full breakdown of costs, why some clinics advertise free ACC physio and how claims work, read our guide: Is ACC physio free?. Current prices are always on our fees page.

Do I need a GP referral?

No. For most injuries you can come straight to a physiotherapist. ACC's guidance allows people to self-refer to physiotherapy after an injury, and your physio lodges the claim on your behalf. If your injury needs a scan, a specialist or medical care, we will tell you and help you arrange the next step.

Injuries we treat under ACC

ACC physio can help with a wide range of accident-related injuries, including:

• Back and neck injuries
• Knee, ankle and hip injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Muscle strains and ligament sprains
• Sports and running injuries
• Work injuries
• Falls and other accidental injuries
• Rehabilitation after surgery, when the surgery relates to a covered injury

Cover depends on ACC's rules. Treatment must relate to the covered injury, and pain that came on gradually with no accident is usually treated privately. Your physio will explain which applies to you.

Sports injuries

If you were hurt playing cricket, rugby, football, netball, basketball, tennis, at the gym or out running, a specific incident such as a twist, fall or sudden pull is usually covered. Sports rehabilitation focuses on more than easing pain:

• Restoring movement, strength and balance
• Sport-specific exercises and drills
• Return-to-sport testing, so you know when you are ready
• Lowering the risk of the same injury happening again

Running injuries

Running injuries often affect the knee, ankle, foot, calf, hamstring, hip or lower back. If the injury came from a specific incident, it may be covered by ACC. If it built up gradually from training, we can still treat it privately. Read more in knee pain when running.

Work injuries

Back injuries from lifting, slips and falls, and shoulder or neck strains at work can all be covered. If your workstation or tasks are part of the problem, we also offer worksite assessments to support a safe return to work.

Back and neck injuries

Back and neck injuries can affect work, sleep and exercise. If your back pain started with a specific incident such as lifting, twisting or a fall, see lower back pain: will ACC cover it? for how ACC decides.

What happens at your first ACC appointment?

Your first appointment is 45 minutes, one-on-one with your physiotherapist.

1. We talk about your injury. How, when and where it happened, what makes it worse, what you can and can't do right now, and any previous injuries.
2. We assess you. Depending on the injury, this can include range of movement, strength, joint movement, balance, walking or running, and sport-specific movement.
3. We lodge the ACC claim if your injury was caused by an accident.
4. You start treatment the same day. Treatment may include exercise rehabilitation, strengthening and mobility work, hands-on therapy, dry needling where appropriate, taping and clear advice on what to do next.
5. You leave with a plan. You will know what is going on, what to do at home and how many sessions you are likely to need.

Bring details of how the injury happened, your ACC claim number if you already have one, any scan results or letters, and comfortable clothing.

ACC physio in Pakuranga, East Auckland

Our clinic is at 7/45 Dale Crescent, Pakuranga, Auckland 2010. We see people from Pakuranga, Howick, Highland Park, Botany, East Tāmaki, Dannemora, Ormiston and the surrounding suburbs.

Your physiotherapist, Abdullah Abdullah, is a New Zealand-registered musculoskeletal physiotherapist with experience in acute injuries, ACC rehabilitation, sports injuries and post-surgical recovery. As well as ACC injuries, we treat private patients and people with EDS, hEDS and hypermobility.

How to book ACC physio

1. Book online, or contact us if you have a question first.
2. You don't need a GP referral or a claim number.
3. Bring details of how the injury happened.
4. We assess you, lodge the claim and start treatment.

Read more about ACC physiotherapy at AZ. Our aim is simple: to help you move better, recover from your injury and get back to doing the things you enjoy.

Sources

• ACC: What to do if you're injured
• ACC: Treatment we can help pay for
• ACC: Injuries we cover