Sports Injuries in East Auckland: What to Do, When to Seek Care, and How to Recover

Whether you have rolled your ankle on the touch rugby field, strained your shoulder in the pool, or felt something give in your knee on a trail run — getting the right assessment and care early makes a genuine difference to how quickly and completely you recover.

At Velca in Howick, physiotherapy and chiropractic are both available for sports injuries, and most injuries sustained in New Zealand are covered by ACC. You do not need a GP referral.

Part 1: The First 48-72 Hours — What to Do

Current evidence-based guidance has moved away from the old RICE approach in favour of the PEACE & LOVE framework, which acknowledges the body's need for controlled movement and load:

• Protection — avoid activities that provoke significant pain in the first few days, but do not completely immobilise the area

• Elevation — elevate the injured limb where practical to reduce swelling

• Avoid anti-inflammatories — there is growing evidence that the inflammatory response is part of the healing process

• Compression — compression bandaging can help manage swelling in limb injuries

• Education — understanding that early pain does not necessarily indicate serious damage

• Load — progressive mechanical loading of the injured tissue, guided by pain, supports healing

• Optimism — a positive expectation of recovery is associated with better outcomes

• Vascularisation — low-impact cardiovascular activity supports blood flow early in recovery

• Exercise — targeted rehabilitation exercise to restore strength, range of motion, and function

A physiotherapy or chiropractic assessment at Velca within the first few days helps you understand what has happened, how significant it is, and what the right approach looks like for your specific injury.

Sports physio at Velca includes comprehensive assessment of extremity joints as well as the spine.

Part 2: What Physiotherapy Offers

Physiotherapy is the core discipline for most sports injury rehabilitation. At Velca, this may include:

• Accurate assessment of the injured structure, including clinical testing and liaison with imaging services where relevant

• Hands-on manual therapy to reduce pain and restore joint movement in the early phase

• A progressive rehabilitation programme designed around your sport and your specific goals

• Return-to-sport testing — assessing whether you have regained the strength, power, and movement quality needed to return safely

• Advice on taping, bracing, or orthotics where relevant

Part 3: What Sports Chiropractic Offers

Sports chiropractic at Velca goes beyond spinal care. Our chiropractors are trained in extremity adjusting — assessing and working with joints throughout the body including ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, and wrists. For sports injuries, chiropractic may be offered for:

• Assessment and management of joint dysfunction anywhere in the body

• Sports-related spinal complaints including acute low back pain from lifting or contact

• Biomechanical assessment of movement quality and factors that may contribute to injury risk

• Co-management alongside physiotherapy where joint mobility and rehabilitation are progressed together

Part 4: ACC and Sports Injuries

The vast majority of acute sports injuries in New Zealand are covered by ACC — including muscle strains, ligament sprains, joint injuries, fractures, and soft tissue injuries from accidents during sport. At Velca, we are an ACC-registered provider and can lodge your claim at your first appointment with no GP referral required.

Part 5: Common Sports Injuries We See at Velca

• Ankle sprains — the most common sports injury, frequently under-rehabilitated and prone to recurrence

• Knee ligament injuries — assessment, pre-surgical rehabilitation, or conservative management depending on severity

• Shoulder injuries — rotator cuff strains, AC joint injuries, shoulder instability

• Hamstring and quad strains — common in running and field sports

• Tennis and golfer's elbow — overuse tendinopathies at the elbow

• Wrist injuries — overuse or acute ligament sprains are the most common. Occasionally we get the unlucky athlete that has severely fractured their wrist

You can see our team of physios here, and our team of chiropractors here.