Acupuncture

Many physiotherapy practices throughout New Zealand, and all over the world, have embraced acupuncture as one of their treatment options for clients. The team at Accelerate Physiotherapy have been using acupuncture for many years and have seen success in providing pain relief, healing and enhancing general well-being.

Following a diagnosis based on clinical reasoning, acupuncture may be recommended as part of wider treatment approach.The needles used are disposable, single use, pre-sterilised needles of varying widths and lengths. A number of needles may be used at each treatment and these are typically left in position for up to 30 minutes before being removed depending on the response required. A needle is manipulated until a QI sensation is felt (a tingling or often warm heavy sensation that can spread away from the area of the needle).

Neck & Back Pain

Neck and back pain are probably two of the most common reasons people come to see a physiotherapist. 80% of adults in New Zealand will experience back pain at some point!

The team at Accelerate use a variety of treatment approaches to find the best option for you and your circumstances.

The most common form of back pain is called acute lower back pain and this may occur suddenly following an activity or develop over a short time frame when an action is repeated frequently.

Some of the causes of low back pain can include:

  • Normal ageing process
  • Poor posture
  • Lifting or carrying heavy loads
  • Sports Injuries or other accidents
  • Pregnancy
  • Certain diseases
  • Repetitive strain
 

Muscle spasms are one of the most common sources of neck pain. They are usually caused by:

  • having your head or neck in an unusual position for some time
  • repeated or extensive movements
  • stress or anxiety
  • arthritis in the bones of your spine (vertebrae)
  • muscle strain from injury
  • sleeping with a pillow that is too big or too small.
 

Other causes of neck pain can be:

  • pinched nerves
  • inflamed lymph nodes
  • arthritis
  • bone disorders
  • tumours
  • thyroid inflammation

Dizziness & Balance

Dizziness, vertigo or loss of balance are common symptoms experienced by people of all ages particularly as we age.  A balance disorder is a condition that makes you feel unsteady, dizzy or light-headed, as if you are moving, spinning, or floating, even though you are standing still or lying down.

The vestibular system is how our bodies regulate balance and vestibular, or balance, disorders can be caused by certain health conditions, medications, or a problem in the inner ear or the brain.

Accelerate Physiotherapy has specific expertise and experience in treating vestibular-related problems so don’t suffer in silence or risk injuring yourself with falls and contact us now.

Shoulder & Elbow Pain

Injuries or discomfort in the shoulder and elbow are extremely common.

The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in the body and can therefore be unstable. It is vulnerable to injuries from sport and falls as well as repetitive movements of the joint from overhead work.

Dislocations, Frozen shoulder, rotator cuff-related and AC joint disorders are some of the more common problems seen by health professionals.

Given the complexity of the shoulder area along with the range of motion that it allows, rehabilitation following an injury needs to be taken seriously in order to regain maximum mobility.

The muscles and tendons that control many of the movements of the wrist and fingers are attached to the bones in the elbow region.

Tendonitis of the elbow, more commonly known as tennis elbow, is a painful disorder that happens when some of the tendons become damaged and inflamed. This can be caused by a number factors and, surprisingly, the number of tennis players who present with the disorder are far outnumbered by people who work in building, food processing, manufacturing and forestry where repetitive use of the forearm muscles is required.

Other causes of elbow pain include sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, bursitis and arthritis.

The team at Accelerate Physiotherapy will work closely with you to determine the cause of discomfort and take steps to assist you to reduce, if not eliminate, the pain.

Knee & Ankle Pain

Knee and ankle pain can be caused by a number issues and given how hard our knees and ankles work in sporting and everyday movements and activities, is it any wonder that, from time to time, the pressure we put these joints under can start to show.

The knee joint is made up of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid with muscles and tendons helping the knee joint move. If any of these elements are damaged through an impact injury or over-use, knee pain will result.

The most common cause of knee pain is an injury caused by overuse or overload. This includes muscle strain, tendonitis, and bursitis. These knee injuries can often develop over time or can come on suddenly due to a change in activity such as a new sporting activity, or significant increase in intensity or load-bearing. High impact sports like running or jumping can sometimes cause stress to a knee joint which can lead to joint injuries.

Other knee injuries are often the result of a direct impact such as a fall or sudden twisting movement which can damage the anterior cruciate ligament. This type of injury is often associated with skiing, football, basketball and netball.

Correct rehabilitation and physiotherapy can have a major impact on how full a recovery from a knee impact injury requiring surgery can be.

A common injury is the ankle sprain and can often occur when playing sports such as netball, basketball, rugby and soccer or simply misjudging a step or tripping over something. Most ankle sprains happen when a person twists or rolls over on their foot causing over-stretching or tearing of the ligaments. Given the relatively high risk of recurrence, it is extremely important that the correct rehabilitation is undertaken to minimise this risk.