If it hurts, start here.

We treat the full range of musculoskeletal injuries and pain. If it's from an accident, ACC covers your treatment and you don't need a GP referral. Jump to a condition:

Most back pain comes from one of three drivers — disc, joint, or muscle — and treatment differs for each, which is why proper assessment matters. We find the driver, settle it with hands-on mobilisation and soft tissue work, then rebuild with graded movement and core strength so it stays settled. At your first visit we test movement, strength and nerve signs to pinpoint the driver — and you leave with a plan, not just a rub. Most people feel meaningful change within 2–3 sessions.

Typical timeframe: Most episodes settle in 2–6 weeks

Stiff joints and overloaded muscles in the neck cause pain locally — and often headaches too. We use manual therapy to restore movement, release the muscle tension, and fix the loading habits (desk setup, sleep position) that keep bringing it back. Dry needling is available at Pakuranga. We'll also test whether your headaches are neck-driven — a quick assessment tells us a lot — and give you relief positions to use between sessions.

Typical timeframe: Typically 2–8 weeks

Shoulders hate rest and love the right load. We settle the irritated tissue hands-on, then build rotator cuff and shoulder blade strength progressively. Frozen shoulder runs a longer course — we'll give you an honest timeline and a plan for each phase. Early assessment matters here: getting the rest-versus-load balance wrong is the most common reason shoulders drag on for months.

Typical timeframe: Rotator cuff: 6–12 weeks · Frozen shoulder: longer, staged plan

From runner's knee to ACL reconstruction, knee recovery is built on strength — quads, glutes, calves — loaded progressively. We combine hands-on treatment with a structured strength programme and, for athletes, return-to-sport testing so you go back when you're ready, not just when it stops hurting. And if surgery is ever on the table, good rehab beforehand ('prehab') measurably improves the result afterwards.

Typical timeframe: Varies widely — patellofemoral 6–12 weeks, ACL rehab 9+ months

Hip pain is usually a loading problem — tendons or joint surfaces asked to do more than they're currently conditioned for. We calm the irritation, adjust the aggravating loads, and strengthen the glutes and deep hip muscles that protect the joint. We also screen the back and pelvis — hip-region pain often has more than one source.

Typical timeframe: Tendinopathies typically 6–12 weeks

The old advice was rest — the evidence says early, guided movement recovers faster and re-sprains less. We restore movement early, rebuild calf strength and balance, and for Achilles and plantar issues use progressive loading that actually fixes the tendon rather than just resting it quiet. At your first visit we test the ligaments and grade the injury — that grading sets your timeline and tells us how hard to push.

Typical timeframe: Sprains 2–6 weeks · Tendon issues 6–12+ weeks

Tennis and golfer's elbow are tendon problems, and tendons respond to one thing: the right load, progressed gradually. We combine hands-on treatment with a loading programme and practical changes to grip, tools, and technique so the fix holds. Worth knowing: cortisone can ease tendon pain short-term but tends to give worse long-term results than loading rehab — the evidence favours the work.

Typical timeframe: Tendinopathies typically 6–12+ weeks

From weekend netball to premier rugby, we treat the injury and manage the comeback — ACC claim lodged on the spot, milestones set, strength benchmarks tested before you return. Several of our physios play or work in high-level sport themselves. We also dig into why it happened — training load, movement patterns, strength gaps — so your comeback is stronger than the original.

Typical timeframe: Depends on the injury — we set your timeline at visit one

Surgery is half the job — rehab is the other half. We work to your surgeon's protocol: restore range of motion first, then build strength in stages, with gym and pool facilities on-site at several clinics for the later phases. Bring your surgeon's notes to your first visit and we'll build around their protocol and your goals.

Typical timeframe: Typically 3–6 months, staged

Pain shooting down the leg is usually an irritated nerve, most often from a disc or joint in the lower back. The good news: the vast majority settle without surgery. We calm the nerve with movement and hands-on care, then rebuild the back's capacity so it doesn't return. One caveat: progressive leg weakness or changes to bladder/bowel control need urgent medical review — we screen for these red flags at every first visit.

Typical timeframe: Most improve significantly in 6–12 weeks

Many headaches start in the neck — stiff upper joints and tight muscles referring pain into the head. If that's your pattern, hands-on treatment of the neck often brings fast relief, backed up with posture and workstation changes. We'll help you map your pattern and triggers, and loop in your GP if the picture doesn't fit a neck-driven headache.

Typical timeframe: Neck-driven headaches often ease within a few sessions

Hurt at work? We lodge the ACC claim for you, treat the injury, and build a graded return-to-work plan — including practical advice on lifting, workstation setup, and pacing so it doesn't happen twice. We can also liaise with your employer and ACC on restricted duties, so you're not choosing between income and recovery.

Typical timeframe: We coordinate timeframes with you and ACC

Pain that's hung around for months needs a different approach than a fresh injury — less quick fix, more building your body's capacity and confidence step by step. We create a realistic long-term plan with you, and there's a free 20-minute option at Panmure if cost is a barrier. Modern pain science is genuinely hopeful here: persistent pain is changeable, and graded activity retrains the system — we'll show you how.

Typical timeframe: Measured in steady monthly progress, not weeks

The strongest evidence for osteoarthritis is movement and strength — the right exercise is genuinely medicine for arthritic joints. We build a programme that reduces pain, keeps you doing what you love, and can delay or avoid surgery for many people. Research shows structured exercise reduces arthritic knee and hip pain by amounts comparable to common pain medication — without the side effects.

Typical timeframe: Ongoing management — most feel a difference in 6–12 weeks

After a car accident, injuries often show up in more places than you first notice. We do a thorough check, treat what we find, and handle the entire ACC motor vehicle claim — you don't fill in a thing. ACC motor claims cover passengers too, and symptoms often surface days after a crash — worth getting checked even if you felt fine at the scene.

Typical timeframe: Whiplash typically 2–8 weeks; we monitor the rest