Best Physiotherapists in Wellington
We assessed 19 physiotherapists in Wellington and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 778 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 13 August 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
Most physiotherapy for injuries, sports-related or otherwise, can be partly funded by ACC, which lowers the cost per visit, so ask whether the clinic lodges ACC claims directly. Check that practitioners are registered with the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand, and ask whether you will see the same physio each visit, as continuity matters for a treatment plan.
Top 5 Physiotherapists in Wellington
The top 5 physiotherapists in Wellington are #1 Central City Physiotherapy, #2 Habit Health Majestic, #3 Refresh Physio, #4 Motion Health Lambton Quay, and #5 Peter Halstead Physio, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you book.
-
1
Central City Physiotherapy Clinic
★ 4.9 209 reviews Top5 Score 1685★ 201 4★ 5 3★ 1 1★ 2Central City Physiotherapy gets people back to sport and daily life through tailored rehab for shoulder injuries, knee problems, back pain, and migraine-related conditions. Physios like Paul, Charissa, and Elise are each noted for adapting treatment as recovery progresses, including drawing on continuing education to work through difficult or slow-moving cases.
location_on 5/330 Lambton Quay, Wellington Central, Wellington
-
2
Habit Health Majestic
verifiedVerified ↑ 2★ 4.5 155 reviews -1 Top5 Score 159 +65★ 114 4★ 23 3★ 6 2★ 4 1★ 8Habit Health Majestic delivers injury rehab spanning hand and elbow rehabilitation, post-surgical recovery, and exercise-based treatment for conditions like osteoarthritis. Physios like Katherine are noted for achieving outcomes beyond what specialists predicted, and the welcoming environment is specifically mentioned as helping clients feel at ease before and during sessions.
location_on Majestic Centre P2/100 Willis Street, Wellington Central, Wellington schedule Mon–Thu 6am–9pm · Fri 6am–7pm · Sat–Sun 8am–6pm
-
3
Refresh Physio
↓ 1★ 4.9 87 reviews -1 Top5 Score 1565★ 85 4★ 1 1★ 1Refresh Physio gets results where previous treatment has failed, working through ligament tears, chronic back pain, leg pain, and running injuries by identifying the underlying cause rather than treating symptoms. Catherine builds rehab around patient-led exercise programmes, which means clients gain enough understanding of their own recovery to keep improving between visits and long term.
location_on 70 Kilbirnie Crescent, Kilbirnie, Wellington
-
4
Motion Health Lambton Quay
↓ 1★ 5.0 64 reviews Top5 Score 1545★ 64Motion Health Lambton Quay specialises in shockwave therapy for long-standing tendon and soft tissue injuries, including Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, hamstring injuries, and scar tissue damage that have not responded to conventional treatment. Priyesh walks patients through what is happening in their body using visual aids during sessions, setting realistic expectations while committing to full recovery rather than short-term relief.
location_on Level 2/354 Lambton Quay, Wellington Central, Wellington
-
5
Peter Halstead Physio Wellington
★ 5.0 52 reviews Top5 Score 1515★ 52Peter Halstead Physio works through sports injuries, shoulder problems, back pain, knee ligament damage, and repetitive strain conditions like golfer's elbow by building treatment plans around each person's specific situation and goals rather than a standard protocol. An on-site gym lets Peter run clients through rehab exercises in the same environment they will be using during recovery, and he explains not just what to do but why, so clients can continue improving independently.
location_on 128 Featherston Street, Wellington Central, Wellington
Before you book a physiotherapist in Wellington
Drawn from 175 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What does physiotherapy typically cost in New Zealand, and what does ACC cover? expand_more
ACC covers a portion of physio costs for injury-related treatment, leaving a patient part-charge that varies by clinic. In Wellington, part-charges for ACC-funded sessions run from around $20 to $50 per visit, though some clinics charge more.
For non-injury conditions, full private fees sit roughly between $60 and $120 per session. Clinics can lodge ACC claims directly, so you do not need a GP referral to access the ACC pathway for an accident injury.
How do I check a physiotherapist is registered and qualified? expand_more
Every practising physiotherapist in New Zealand must hold a current annual practising certificate issued by the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand. You can search the public register on the Board's website for free to confirm registration, certificate currency, and any conditions on a practitioner's scope of practice.
If you have a complaint about care, the Health and Disability Commissioner is the primary pathway for formal concerns. Reviews here point to practitioners with specific backgrounds in sports rehab, post-surgical recovery, and musculoskeletal work, so checking a physio's stated area of interest against your injury type is a practical extra step before booking.
How many sessions should treatment realistically take? expand_more
A straightforward sports injury or muscle strain can resolve in three to five sessions when a clear rehab plan and home exercises are in place, as several reviewers here experienced. More complex or post-surgical cases, such as ACL reconstruction or joint replacement recovery, will run longer, but a good physio sets measurable goals and tells you what progress should look like at each stage.
Home exercises are where most of the real recovery happens between appointments, so if a plan relies entirely on clinic visits with no independent work, that is worth questioning. If you are many sessions in with no clear end point or shift in your programme, it is reasonable to ask your physio directly what the discharge criteria are.
What are the warning signs of a physiotherapy clinic you should avoid? expand_more
- –A physio who cannot explain your treatment plan or visibly looks up basic protocols during your session rather than assessing you properly.
- –Billing practices that are unclear upfront, including unexpected charges sent through a debt agency or cancellation fees imposed when you choose not to return.
- –No continuity of care, meaning you see a different practitioner each visit with no handover or consistent treatment thread.
- –Sessions where you are handed a generic exercise sheet without any hands-on assessment or personalised adjustment to your specific presentation.
- –A clinic that cannot tell you the ACC part-charge before your first appointment, leaving you exposed to surprise costs.
- –No discussion of goals, expected number of sessions, or what recovery milestones you should be hitting.
What should you ask before booking a physiotherapist? expand_more
- –Ask whether the clinic lodges ACC claims directly and what the exact patient part-charge is per session before you commit.
- –Ask whether you will see the same physiotherapist at every appointment, since continuity makes a measurable difference to outcomes.
- –Ask how many sessions they would expect for your specific injury and what the discharge criteria look like.
- –Ask whether they have direct experience treating your type of injury, for example post-surgical rehab, sports-related ligament damage, or a neurological condition.
- –Ask whether home exercises form part of the programme, since recovery between sessions is where most progress is made.
- –Ask what happens if you are not progressing as expected and whether they refer on to other specialists when needed.
Also recommended physiotherapists in Wellington
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
-
6
The Rehab Co Wellington
↑ 1★ 4.8 50 reviews +2 Top5 Score 151 +65★ 47 4★ 1 1★ 2The Rehab Co works through ACL rehab, rotator cuff injuries, back pain, ankle sprains, running injuries, and persistent arm and shoulder problems that have stumped other practitioners. Physios like Marcos, Keith, and Malia are each noted for using measurements and clear explanations to identify root causes, then building structured programmes that get clients back to activity faster than expected.
location_on 14 Gateway Lane, Thorndon, Wellington
-
7
South Coast Physiotherapy
↓ 1★ 5.0 43 reviews +1 Top5 Score 151 +35★ 43South Coast Physiotherapy brings people through sports injuries, post-surgical recovery, and long-term rehab for knees, shoulders, ankles, and backs, with physios Callum and Bonnie each noted for building stage-by-stage plans that adapt as recovery progresses. Clients repeatedly report returning to sport or full function faster than expected, with follow-up emails sent after appointments to document what to work on between sessions.
location_on 118 The Parade, Island Bay, Wellington
-
8
Capital Sports Medicine
★ 4.5 48 reviews Top5 Score 1485★ 41 4★ 1 2★ 1 1★ 5Capital Sports Medicine works through ankle and calf injuries, ACL and meniscus damage, knee pain, Achilles problems, and back pain for athletes and active people across Wellington. Physios like Meg, Kerryn, Chris, Hazel, and Jimmy are each noted for pinpointing the exact tissues involved and building rehab programmes specific to training goals, including getting runners to ultramarathon finish lines weeks after injury.
location_on 5/187 Featherston Street, Wellington Central, Wellington
-
9
North City Physiotherapy
↓ 1★ 4.9 36 reviews +1 Top5 Score 147 +35★ 35 1★ 1North City Physiotherapy brings people through knee ligament damage, torn adductor and MCL injuries, shoulder problems, back pain, and long-standing ankle injuries, including complex cases where previous physio produced little improvement. Abhi builds stage-by-stage recovery plans that combine dry needling, strength work, and hands-on treatment, and takes time to understand each person's full injury history before starting.
location_on Salvation Army Building (Above Family Store Level 1/125 Johnsonville Road, Johnsonville, Wellington
-
10
Pelvic Health Physiotherapy - Wellington
★ 4.8 34 reviews Top5 Score 1455★ 32 1★ 2Pelvic Health Physiotherapy treats pelvic floor dysfunction, post-surgical complications, incontinence, and post-natal recovery, identifying root causes that GPs and hospital doctors had previously missed. Physios like Liz, Elaine, and Sarah explain the mechanics of what is happening in plain terms, then build exercise-based treatment plans that reduce or resolve symptoms without surgery.
location_on Symes de Silva House 99 Courtenay Place, 97, Wellington
About this ranking
What the 10 physiotherapists listed above hold, at the 13 August 2026 check.
We first assessed physiotherapists in Wellington in June 2026 and have rechecked the ranking once since. Across the 14 locations we assess physiotherapists in, the 140 businesses listed have a median rating of 4.9, and one-star reviews are 1.5% of their total.
What has changed since June 2026? expand_more
- Aug 2026
Scoring method updated. Capital Sports Medicine and Pelvic Health Physiotherapy entered the list, at #8 and #10.
- Jun 2026
First check. Central City Physiotherapy #1.
How are the top physiotherapists in Wellington chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for physiotherapists in Wellington. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out. A business whose website no longer resolves and that has had no Google review for six months is treated as dormant and left off the page until either changes. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for physiotherapists in Wellington. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.