Paediatric Services

New in Manawatū: Multidisciplinary Allied Health Services for Children and Young People opening on 30th June based out of our clinic at 663 Tremaine Avenue!

We’re excited to announce the opening of our brand-new Active+ Palmerston North Paediatric Allied Health Clinic — a dedicated space for children, young people, and their whānau to access the care and support they need to thrive.

Childhood is a time of rapid growth and change. From motor skills and communication to emotional wellbeing and learning, the journey through development is unique for every tamariki. That’s why our clinic brings together a multidisciplinary team of allied health professionals to provide integrated, whānau-centred care right here in the heart of the Manawatū to help our tamariki flourish.

Why Multidisciplinary Allied Health Makes a Difference:

Our team of occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech-language therapists work collaboratively to support every aspect of a child’s development. This approach means we can:

• Identify and respond early to developmental concerns
• Undertake formalised assessments to support diagnosis or further communications with the medical profession
• Coordinate care plans that address physical, emotional, and behavioural needs
• Empower whānau with practical tools and guidance
• Provide individual therapy and rehabilitation, group sessions, and a holistic, play-based approach
• Work closely with schools, GPs, and community services for better outcomes

At Active+ Palmerston North, our child-friendly environment is designed to put tamariki at ease while they grow their skills, build confidence, and reach their full potential. From helping pēpi with motor milestones to supporting rangatahi with emotional regulation or communication needs, we’re here every step of the way.

Locally Connected, Whānau-Focused

We are proud to serve the families of the Manawatū, working closely with schools, kura, health providers and community organisations to make accessing services easier and more responsive to local needs. Together, we create stronger pathways for children to succeed and feel supported.

The dedicated clinic opens on June 30^th and we are now accepting referrals from parents, schools, GPs, insurers and other community partners.

Contact Active+ Palmerston North to find out how we can support your child and whānau.

Vestibular Rehabilitation

The vestibular system is made of the vestibular apparatus (the inner ear) and the brain. Together they are responsible for enabling us to maintain a steady gaze, maintain our balance, and prevent dizziness. Issues with the vestibular system can arise after injuries (like concussion or whiplash), infection or stroke.

 Vestibular Rehabilitation is an exercise-based treatment programme that is designed to address the various problems caused by the vestibular system, and ultimately improve balance and reduce problems related to dizziness, vertigo, light headedness, and motion sensitivity. Our trained Vestibular Therapists can complete a full specialised assessment, determine the cause of your symptoms, and provide an individualised treatment plan.

Pain Management

For some people pain is ongoing and debilitating. A pain service starts with a team approach to tailor individual programmes to help clients manage persistent pain. Through assessment the team will work with you to identify what you want to achieve, and from there create a plan of treatment services to achieve this.

The programme can have input from any of the following:

• Physiotherapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Dietitian
• Pain Doctor
• Social Worker
• Counsellor
• Psychologist
• Pharmacist

Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles through your skin at various points on your body. Traditional Chinese medicine explains Acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force believed to flow through pathways in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, Acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance.

Our experienced Physiotherapists are trained in Acupuncture and will treat within the Western Medicine framework, using Acupuncture alongside other Physiotherapy techniques to relieve pain and reduce muscle tension or even spasm. Contrary to what many might believe, Acupuncture is not painful and people can find it very relaxing. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for calming and even improving sleep.

Speech Language Therapy

Speech-Language Therapists work with people who have language, voice or speech difficulties. They can assess, treat and support individuals with a wide range of needs. Children with speech and language difficulties can make huge improvements with the assistance of a speech and language therapist, left unsupported their communication difficulties can affect their ability to make friends and engage in the learning environment. Speech-Language Therapists work with people with a wide range of developmental and neurological conditions including: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Brain injury and Neurological disorders (Stroke, Parkinsons, MD, MS and Huntingtons), Dysfluency, learning or intellectual disabilities and global developmental delay. They can also work with individuals with swallowing and feeding problems.

Here at Active+ our trained Speech and Language Therapists work closely with Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists, allowing us to support you from a multidisciplinary approach. We can easily make referrals to other team members as required to best support our clients.

Pelvic Health Physiotherapy

Pelvic Health Physiotherapy is a field of physiotherapy that uses education, exercises and manual therapy to improve or restore pelvic dysfunction. Our experienced Physiotherapist is trained in the specialist area of Pelvic Health (mens and womens), and is able to develop individualised programmes to help manage pelvic symptoms/dysfunction.  It can encompass a wide variety of conditions, including but not limited to:

- issues relating to bladder and bowel function (incontinence, prolapse, difficulty emptying bowels and bladder)

- persistent pelvic pain (pudendal neuralgia)

- pre- and post-natal management (abdominal separation, exercise advice while pregnant and return to exercise following birth, sacroiliac and pubic bone pain)

- men’s pelvic health (pre- and post-prostatectomy, sexual dysfunction)