Appointments

What to Expect
APPOINTMENTS:

Your first appointment will take 40 minutes. This is a really important time for us to form an accurate diagnosis of your injury. We ask you a number of questions about your injury and general health and discuss with you your goals of treatment. Then we do some physical tests. Your Physiotherapist will then discuss their findings with you and outline a plan of treatment. They will normally implement a short treatment at this first session in order to validate their diagnosis and provide self management advice.
 

Subsequent visits will normally take 20 minutes. Your Physiotherapist will ask you how you are progressing, reassess important tests, analyse if the treatment has been effective and then either implement a similar treatment or alter the treatment plan if no improvement has been seen.

 

  • If your problem is complex your Physiotherapist may request you to make a 40 minute follow-up appointment
  • If we think that your problem may not be of musculoskeletal origin or if you may require other medical intervention we will immediately refer you onto your GP.
  • If you require time off work and/or medication you will also need to see your GP.

ACC:

  • If you have seen your Doctor before being referred for Physiotherapy then your Doctor will have made the decision whether or not your treatment will be covered by ACC.
  • If your have come to us directly & your injury is the result of an accident, you will then be asked to complete the ACC details on the reverse of our consent form.
  • Please note ACC's definition of an accident is "a specific event, or series of events, that - i) Involves the application of a force or resistance external to the human body; and ii) Is not a gradual process".
  • We are legally obligated to follow these guidelines. If unsure, please discuss this with your Physiotherapist
  • Visitors to New Zealand: All visitors to New Zealand are covered by ACC, if you have an accident during your stay that causes an injury
  • Please be aware that lodging an ACC claim does not guarantee acceptance of the claim. The ultimate decision is made by ACC. Declined claims will incur private charges.

TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENTS:

ACC has now approved funding of these Telehealth consultations, so if you have an ACC claim, these consultations would be at no charge to you. Although any “hands-on” treatment is obviously not possible via phone or video link, we can still be very effective in managing your injury.

We can:
Diagnose & discuss the nature of your injury 
  • Lodge an ACC claim if appropriate
  • Formulate and progress your self-management plan
  • Discuss expectations of recovery times
  • Design and demonstrate rehabilitation exercises
  • Reinforce exercises via emailed pictures and videos from Physiotec
  • Refer you for x-rays and /or an ultrasound scan if urgent
  • Refer you onto an Orthopaedic Specialist (likely also to be remotely at present).
  • Advise you of aids & equipment that could promote a faster recovery
  • We also have an online shop that can deliver these items directly to your door without you having to leave your home!