ACC Acupuncture 

Overview of ACC

ACC's job is to support you if you’ve been injured, by helping you get back to work and everyday life as quickly as possible. They also work with businesses and the community, to try to stop injuries from happening in the first place. Anyone in New Zealand can apply for help from them, even if you’re just visiting here from overseas. Because of the support available through ACC, you can’t sue for personal injury in New Zealand, except for exemplary damages.

​Unfortunately, acupuncturists cannot fill in the necessary forms for you or apply for an ACC45 number for your injury. 
For this you will need to visit an Osteopath, Chiropractor, Doctor or Physiotherapist in the first instance. 
They will give you a form to fill in explaining how and when you injured yourself. If this comes under the ACC guidelines then your treatment will be subsidised. Each clinic and practitioner may have their own level of subsidy, so the amount you save can vary.

Once you have your ACC 45 number, you are free to visit whichever ACC provider you wish. 
You do not need to be referred by your Doctor, you can self refer. 

You can also see as many different practitioners (different modalities and/or different providers of the same modality) as you like. 

Each injury has an allotted number of treatments covered by ACC for each modality. 


For example: 

a low back injury has 12-16 treatments covered by ACC per modality 
- which means you can have 12 sessions of Acupuncture, 12 Osteopathy, 12 Chiropractic and 12 Physio. 
- 48 in total. 

This allows the patient to choose which modality and practitioner they prefer. 
If Physio is not working you can try Osteo, if that is not working try Chiro, if that is not working try Acupuncture etc
Or combine them.

Often Acupuncture is the best treatment initially as it eases the pain and can treat a very painful area without actually touching that area (distal treatment). Once the pain has subsided a combination may be helpful. Long term structural problems often require the input of an Osteopath to assess the spine and any compensations. Post treatment Physio or Yoga or a Personal Trainer may be needed to rehab the area and bring back the strength and mobility. 

All modalities may be needed or only one. 
You, the patient, can choose and you can also ask the advice of your practitioner.

Acupuncture Queenstown works closely with local Osteopaths, Chiropractors and Physiotherapists and personal trainers to help you get the best combination of treatments to recover in the fastest time. 
Please ask for advice or a recommendation.


For full details of how ACC works visit their website: http://www.acc.co.nz/index.htm