Wellington Sports Med operates from inside the Ākau Tangi Sports Centre in Kilbirnie, bringing together a multidisciplinary allied health team — physiotherapists alongside visiting specialists, podiatrists and vestibular physiotherapists — to help people recover, move and perform with confidence. The clinic offers quick-access appointments and coordinated care for ACC clients, workplace rehabilitation and post-injury recovery.
The clinic is part of WSM Group, the team behind Willis Street Physiotherapy in the central city, The Physio Spot and a network of clinic and on-site services across the region. That group backing means patients here can draw on a wide bench of expertise, from TMJ and jaw pain care and an acute concussion service to VALD performance testing and breathing pattern training.
Physiotherapy here is framed as a partnership: together with your physio you set goals — whether that's reducing chronic pain, returning to sport or recovering from an injury — and build a clear plan to reach them, with the best results coming from your active participation. Same-day appointments are often available, and the team welcomes everything from acute strains and sprains to long-standing niggles.
Wellington Sports Med sits inside the Ākau Tangi Sports Centre in Kilbirnie, which makes it a natural pit stop for Wellington's sporting community — but you don't need to be an athlete to walk through the door. The clinic offers a full suite of physiotherapy and rehabilitation services designed to help you recover, move and perform with confidence, whether you're managing a sports injury, a workplace strain or persistent pain that has hung around far too long.
The clinic is part of WSM Group, the allied health organisation behind Willis Street Physiotherapy in the central city, The Physio Spot and a network of clinics and on-site services across the region. That group backing matters: the Kilbirnie team can draw on a deep pool of colleagues and specialist services when your recovery calls for more than one pair of hands.
Wellington Sports Med describes itself as multidisciplinary, and the line-up backs that up. Alongside physiotherapists, the clinic hosts visiting specialists, podiatrists and vestibular physiotherapists, with occupational therapists and dedicated wellbeing practitioners part of the wider WSM Group team. For patients, that translates into coordinated care: quick-access appointments and referrals that happen within the team rather than across town.
The service list is broad. Physiotherapists treat everything from acute strains and sprains to ongoing niggles, using evidence-based assessment to restore movement, build strength and prevent re-injury — whether the goal is getting back to school, work, sport or simply the things you love. There's also personalised support for people managing pain, including referral for investigations or to other health professionals where needed, and help accessing suitable funding pathways or ACC contracts.
New injury? The clinic's urgent help service is built for exactly that moment. Same-day appointments are often available — and even when the online diary looks full, the team says it can usually find a slot so you're seen on the day. Free call 0800 842 749 and let them know you need same-day help.
In the first 48 hours after a sprain or strain you can manage yourself, the team recommends the RICEM regime — Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, Movement — and booking in as soon as you can. If it's a medical emergency, dial 111 or get to your nearest urgent medical centre or A&E; for round-the-clock advice when the clinic is closed, Healthline is free on 0800 611 116.
The group is upfront that physiotherapy is a partnership between client and physiotherapist. Together, you'll create a clear plan built around your goals — reducing chronic pain, returning to sport, recovering from an injury — and the best results come from your active participation in the journey. It's a practical, goal-driven approach rather than a passive one.
For athletes and teams, the clinic offers VALD performance testing, using world-class technology to objectively assess strength, power and movement, tailor training programmes, track progress and reduce injury risk, with individual support also available. Breathing-trained physiotherapists provide breathing pattern training to help manage anxiety, improve sports performance and enhance overall wellbeing — including specialised care for people who wear binders or corsets.
Jaw pain gets its own dedicated pathway: TMJ physiotherapy addresses jaw and facial pain, clicking or locking, headaches and referred ear pain through manual therapy, muscle strengthening, postural correction and dry needling, in collaboration with local dentists and specialists. An acute concussion service provides early management through advice, aerobic exercise, cervical spine treatment and vestibulo-ocular rehabilitation once a concussion has been diagnosed by a medical provider — physiotherapists can lodge the ACC claim and treat the musculoskeletal contributors.
Wellington Sports Med also sits at the heart of WSM Group's ACC contracted work. The group is the community rehab provider for Active+ across Wellington, Kapiti, Hutt and the Wairarapa, keyworking services such as training for independence, vocational rehabilitation, concussion services, pain management, home and community support, and social rehabilitation needs assessments.
Booking is straightforward: appointments at Wellington Sports Med and every WSM Group clinic are made through the same online booking system, and the team will help you find the right service, clinician or funding pathway for where you're at.