Have you heard of Active+? Their logo involves leaping energetic bodies and their website is filled with happy, healthy faces of all shapes and size. When I go to meet their Provider Relationship Manager Deborah Tutty, I find her in a funky wood panelled building on Dominion Road. 'Up the staircase and round the corner' the ladies in the bottom portion of the office tell me. Tea is made, and we settle into one of the consulting rooms for a chat.
Active+, it's fair to say - is becoming a giant in our healthcare industry. It was started with a one-room physio practice a quarter century ago, and now has over 400 employees and contractors, and 20 clinics from Northland to Manawatu. They have expanded from their physio roots, and now provide services from corporate wellness and vocational counselling, to injury prevention and personal training, and of course - psychological therapies. They hold a number of different contracts, and individual users can access their services either directly - or through these contracts.
So what might you see an Active+ consultant for? Lots! Deborah says they tend to divide their services into four areas: Body, Mind, Health and Play. If you have had an injury or pain, chances are your body or mind will have sustained some effects. In a very broad summary, that's what Active+ are here to help with.
You might have resulting physical pain from an incident, longstanding pain, or need some rehabilitation. You might be interested in how you can get your recovery back on track after an injury, and there might be a social work component to this. You might need to see a psychologist or counsellor - especially (but not only) if it's about something that has occurred as a result of an accident or injury. Health and safety at work are major areas of focus for Active+, as is getting people back to work safely after an incident. And of course, they still provide physiotherapy and related services - including things like pilates and personal training.
Cheesy but oddly calming. Happy, bouncy bodies.
Whether it's back pain, osteoarthritis, women's health issues, difficulty carrying out everyday tasks like doing the laundry, or simply a mental health related need for therapy - Active+ probably have someone in their ever expanding arsenal of qualified practitioners who can help. They place a big focus on accurate assessment and treatment recommendations, and they ensure as much as possible that you are able to deal with one trusted person throughout your journey.
If you're wondering whether any of their services sound like you, have a read of their very comprehensive website. It does include slightly cheesy sayings like 'Keeping your mind and body A+ but we'll forgive them for that, because they also offer online booking. Some services you can simply book in and attend, others may require an ACC claim or similar. But it's worth contacting the friendly crew at Active+ to find out more. Much of what they offer will be at no cost to you, and they'll probably have a clinic or mobile therapist in your area.
Deborah acknowledges that the links between physical and mental health are becoming more well-documented by the day, and that's part of the reason organisations like Active+ realised that focusing on 'just' the physio side might be missing some essential connected services.
Here's a list of all the contracts they hold, and here's their contact page where you can indicate what you're interested in. Oh and here are their Twitter and Facebook pages. A+ for contact info!