PAANZ Courses 2026

Qi Gong is an excellent method to balance and self-regulate, and useful for us as practitioners.

Qi Gong is a 4,000-year-old vital part of Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM and complementary to Acupuncture. Qigong practice blends slow, flowing exercises, meditation and breathing techniques with the aim to cultivate and balance the body’s vital energy or Qi. Extensive research has shown many health benefits. Qigong has been used as a complementary therapy for a wide range of acute and chronic conditions, and can help to maintain our physical, mental and spiritual health. Practicing regularly regulates the meridians, can improve strength and balance, helps to prevent falls, supports sleep, may boost the immune system and improves brain function; and can help to calm the mind to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, and more.

In this presentation I would like to guide you through a sequence of Qi Gong exercises, that help us to improve the flow of Qi in the meridians and enhance our inherent Qi with the goal of improving and maintaining our health and well-being.

Please note, Qi Gong is a gentle natural form of movement. Participants should be aware of their physical condition and should not exceed their abilities. No responsibility will be held for injuries resulting from practising the Qi Gong in this webinar.

Part A is a two-day theory and practical course designed for physiotherapists with dry needling training only, as well as those with no prior acupuncture or needling experience. It also provides a structured refresher for clinicians wishing to revisit the core principles underpinning safe, effective needling practice.

The course commences with an online pre-course lecture focusing on the safe application of needling. This includes informed consent, patient screening, skin disinfection and its clinical rationale, safe needle handling, and first aid principles relevant to needling-related incidents.

The two-day face-to-face component develops practical competence and clinical reasoning in needling practice. Content includes an overview of needling techniques, an introduction to acupuncture concepts, and foundational neuroscience principles to support clinical decision-making. Participants are introduced to acupuncture meridian pathways and will practise needling a selection of commonly used acupuncture points.

The emphasis of Part A is to support clinicians who are new to needling to broaden their clinical skill set beyond trigger point dry needling, while developing an understanding of acupuncture-related concepts that enhance treatment selection and patient outcomes. Participants will gain insight into the mechanisms of action, potential risks, and expected responses associated with needling interventions.

Throughout the course, participants are required to demonstrate safe needling of acupuncture points, discuss relevant tissue innervation, and explain the clinical application of each point. Case study analysis is integrated to support clinical reasoning around when and how acupuncture may be incorporated to complement physiotherapy management and enhance patient outcomes.

Prerequisites: All attendees must be registered in New Zealand with a current Annual Practising Certificate (APC) that includes needling within their scope of practice.

This foundation course, taught by Trevor Montgomery in association with PAANZ, is suitable for all physiotherapists wishing to expand their clinical reasoning and treatment skill sets with the use of dry needling. The course has a large practical component with particular emphasis on safe needling practice as set out in the latest PAANZ safety guidelines.

The course is an introduction to Dry Needling, learning to needle major muscle groups in all areas of the body, but focused looking at conditions such as Achilles Tendonosis, Shoulder Impingement, and SIJ dysfunctions. As we look at each of these conditions, we teach you how to needle trigger points in the muscles that may be dysfunctional in those conditions and then look at how to rehab the conditions using exercises/stretches that Trevor has developed. The Foundation Course teaches you to needle most major muscle groups in the body safely and plenty to take back and use with patients on Monday morning! However, we do not needle over the thorax in the Foundation Course because of the risk of pneumothorax. Needling muscles over the thorax is considered more advanced and, therefore, is included in the Advanced Upper Limb Course.

The course is designed to help practitioners integrate dry needling into their clinical approach to address the underlying causes of some of the more common clinical presentations we treat. Having taught over 240 introductory and advanced courses for AUT, PAANZ, the APA of Australia and Asia over the last 18 years. Trevor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his teaching in this specialty area.

Prerequisites: All attendees must be registered in New Zealand and have a current APC. Non-PAANZ members and non-PNZ members are welcome.

This foundation course, taught by Trevor Montgomery in association with PAANZ, is suitable for all physiotherapists wishing to expand their clinical reasoning and treatment skill sets with the use of dry needling. The course has a large practical component with particular emphasis on safe needling practice as set out in the latest PAANZ safety guidelines.

The course is an introduction to Dry Needling, learning to needle major muscle groups in all areas of the body, but focused looking at conditions such as Achilles Tendonosis, Shoulder Impingement, and SIJ dysfunctions. As we look at each of these conditions, we teach you how to needle trigger points in the muscles that may be dysfunctional in those conditions and then look at how to rehab the conditions using exercises/stretches that Trevor has developed. The Foundation Course teaches you to needle most major muscle groups in the body safely and plenty to take back and use with patients on Monday morning! However, we do not needle over the thorax in the Foundation Course because of the risk of pneumothorax. Needling muscles over the thorax is considered more advanced and, therefore, is included in the Advanced Upper Limb Course.

The course is designed to help practitioners integrate dry needling into their clinical approach to address the underlying causes of some of the more common clinical presentations we treat. Having taught over 240 introductory and advanced courses for AUT, PAANZ, the APA of Australia and Asia over the last 18 years. Trevor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his teaching in this specialty area.

Prerequisites: All attendees must be registered in New Zealand and have a current APC. Non-PAANZ members and non-PNZ members are welcome.

Vignette evenings are an interactive session. You do not have to provide a case study and there will be breakout groups to discuss the cases brought up for discussion.

Gabriel is a sports performance therapist leading a team of various therapists at Physio-Logic. His background in physiotherapy and resume of clientele including athletes from a wide variety of sporting disciplines, most recently in the combat sports field, has developed his experience to cater to improving the performance of athletes and general population away from injuries to better daily function, using acupuncture as one of his practicing tools. He has developed an interest in injury management and prevention, travelling around the world with elite level athletes, he has witnessed his practice philosophy reap the rewards of the highest achievements in the UFC and other combat sports organisations.

The case studies he will be discussing in the upcoming vignette will draw from the clients and experiences he has had.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the Zoom link.

This Course aims to explore and expand on the participants knowledge and understanding of Zang Fu. Zang Fu may be described as the organ systems; it focuses on the function and Qi of the organs, which are connected to emotions, seasons, and meridians. It’s concepts are integral to the practice of Traditional Acupuncture. This ancient model still has modern day clinical relevance in providing a framework for both diagnosis and treatment prescription that is both elegant and effective.

By gaining a deeper understanding of the concepts of Zang Fu course participants will clarify their understanding of the functions of the acupuncture points, the interactions between different points and different channels. The basics of “Pulse diagnosis” will be taught in this course. We’re planning for it to be fun!

Please note: This course is open to practitioners trained in acupuncture to the level of PAANZ registration. Please note that this course is not suitable for practitioners trained solely in dry needling.

The Eight Extraordinary Meridians (Qi Jing Ba Mai) are foundational energy pathways in Traditional Acupuncture that act as deep reservoirs for Kidney Jing (essence), Yuan Qi (original energy), and blood. They regulate, store, and distribute energy throughout the body, supporting hereditary, developmental, and hormonal health. They have a wide range of use to treat various musculoskeletal conditions. They are used to treat complicated conditions, and chronic cases characterized by multiple issues, confusing patterns and complex cases that sometimes show disparate symptom patterns.

This is a very practical course. Participants will spend time learning about the zones of influence of the Extraordinary Meridians and the clinical application of these. These vessels are typically used in pairs – a master point and a coupling point – to address specific systemic, structural, or emotional imbalances. Accurate location by palpation of the points will be covered in depth. The use of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians is a highly effective adjunct to the practitioner’s toolbox.

Please note: This course is open to practitioners trained in acupuncture to the level of PAANZ registration. Please note that this course is not suitable for practitioners trained solely in dry needling.

The Advanced Dry Needling course for the Lower Half of the Body aims to teach course participants how to needle myofascial components from T7 down. This is a practical course, including the teaching of advanced techniques around the thoracolumbar region, pelvis, and lower limbs with particular emphasis on safety and efficacy. One of the major goals is for participants to integrate the use of dry needling into their clinical reasoning process and their clinical approach to treating common (and uncommon) lower body conditions.

Case studies will be discussed to further enhance the clinical reasoning behind the use of dry needling, and its integration with other physiotherapy skill sets, such as manual therapy, muscle balancing, exercise prescription, and postural advice.

Having taught over 240 introductory and advanced courses for AUT, PAANZ, the APA of Australia and Asia over the last 18 years, Trevor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his teaching in this specialty area.

Prerequisites: Attendance requires completion of one of the following courses: PAANZ Foundation Dry Needling Course, APA Introductory Segmental and Dry Needling Course, or a Post-Graduate Western Acupuncture qualification from AUT or Otago. If you have undertaken dry needling training from another provider, please contact paanz@physiotherapy.org.nz to see if it qualifies as a prerequisite for this course.

Part B is a two-day course that builds on the foundations established in Part A, with a deeper exploration of Western biomedical acupuncture theory. The sentinel point concepts introduced previously are expanded, with a focus on their clinical application and integration into physiotherapy practice.

The practical component is extended to further develop needling skills introduced in Part A. Participants will practise joint needling and selected needling techniques in the thoracic region, with a strong emphasis on safety principles taught prior to all practical application.

Neuroscience principles introduced in Part A are further developed to strengthen clinical reasoning and treatment selection. The course explores the rationale for local, segmental, extra-segmental (big-point), and autonomically related needling approaches, supporting clinicians to understand not only how to needle, but why different strategies may be selected for different presentations.

Participants will learn additional acupuncture points and their application to commonly encountered clinical conditions. Daily practical assessment requires participants to demonstrate safe needling of acupuncture points, discuss relevant tissue innervation, and explain the clinical indications for each point.

Case study analysis is integrated throughout the course, guiding clinical decision-making in the management of common presentations, including degenerative conditions and acute injury healing, while emphasising appropriate dosing and strategies to avoid over-treatment.

This foundation course, taught by Trevor Montgomery in association with PAANZ, is suitable for all physiotherapists wishing to expand their clinical reasoning and treatment skill sets with the use of dry needling. The course has a large practical component with particular emphasis on safe needling practice as set out in the latest PAANZ safety guidelines.

The course is an introduction to Dry Needling, learning to needle major muscle groups in all areas of the body, but focused looking at conditions such as Achilles Tendonosis, Shoulder Impingement, and SIJ dysfunctions. As we look at each of these conditions, we teach you how to needle trigger points in the muscles that may be dysfunctional in those conditions and then look at how to rehab the conditions using exercises/stretches that Trevor has developed. The Foundation Course teaches you to needle most major muscle groups in the body safely and plenty to take back and use with patients on Monday morning! However, we do not needle over the thorax in the Foundation Course because of the risk of pneumothorax. Needling muscles over the thorax is considered more advanced and, therefore, is included in the Advanced Upper Limb Course.

The course is designed to help practitioners integrate dry needling into their clinical approach to address the underlying causes of some of the more common clinical presentations we treat. Having taught over 240 introductory and advanced courses for AUT, PAANZ, the APA of Australia and Asia over the last 18 years. Trevor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his teaching in this specialty area.

Prerequisites: All attendees must be registered in New Zealand and have a current APC. Non-PAANZ members and non-PNZ members are welcome.

This practical two-day course brings together contemporary physiotherapy, dry needling, and both Western and traditional acupuncture approaches for the assessment and treatment of shoulder pain.

We will explore the biomechanics of the shoulder complex in depth, linking anatomy and movement to common clinical presentations. Participants will gain clarity around key shoulder pathologies and how to differentiate between them confidently.

The course includes:

• Functional biomechanics of the shoulder and scapulothoracic complex
• Assessment strategies for common shoulder pathologies
• Western acupuncture and dry needling techniques for shoulder dysfunction
• Traditional acupuncture approaches and point selection
• Safe needling techniques over the thorax, including detailed anatomical review, risk management, and safety frameworks
• Manual therapy techniques
• Targeted rehabilitation exercises and load progression
• Integrated case scenarios to consolidate assessment, clinical reasoning and treatment planning

Case-based discussions will allow participants to apply biomechanics, pathology knowledge, needling techniques and rehabilitation principles to real-world presentations, improving confidence in clinical decision-making.

This is a hands-on course designed to build clinical reasoning, confidence with needling over the thorax, and integration of manual and exercise-based treatment.

Competent participants will receive peer review certificates confirming competency in safe needling over the thorax, suitable as evidence for extended scope of practice CPD requirements.

This course is intended for physiotherapists who have completed no less than 28 hours of supervised practical training in dry needling and/or acupuncture.

Foundation Acupuncture for Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy focuses on the practical integration of acupuncture within musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy. The course simplifies acupuncture concepts and translates them into clear, clinically relevant applications specific to musculoskeletal physiotherapy, enhancing assessment, treatment, and performance outcomes.

The primary objective is to refine participants’ ability to apply acupuncture alongside musculoskeletal physiotherapy using sound clinical reasoning. Acupuncture is positioned as a tool to extend physiotherapy practice, supporting the management of musculoskeletal conditions, injury rehabilitation, performance optimisation, and injury prevention.

Through structured instruction and hands-on application, participants will develop greater proficiency in musculoskeletal assessment, biomechanical analysis, and the integration of established physiotherapy treatment principles. Strategic acupuncture application is explored not only as an adjunct for pain and injury management, but also as a proactive intervention to improve tissue capacity, movement efficiency, and functional recovery in both athletic and general populations.

The curriculum emphasizes streamlined treatment approaches, clinically efficient protocols, and practical skill development. Learning is reinforced through immediate clinical effects observed during practical sessions, supported by real-world case studies drawn from current practice with high-performance athletes competing at the highest professional levels. These approaches are directly transferable to everyday clinical settings.

This course is designed for musculoskeletal physiotherapists and practitioners who are already competent in needling techniques and wish to deepen their musculoskeletal understanding through targeted acupuncture application. Completion of Foundation Acupuncture Parts A and B, or equivalent acupuncture competency, is strongly recommended to ensure participants can fully engage with and apply the course content.

Prerequisites: All attendees must be registered in New Zealand with a current Annual Practising Certificate (APC) that includes needling within their scope of practice.

Pricing:

PAANZ member rate $600.00. Click here for PAANZ member discount code.
PNZ member rate $750.00
Non PNZ member rate $900.00

This foundation course, taught by Trevor Montgomery in association with PAANZ, is suitable for all physiotherapists wishing to expand their clinical reasoning and treatment skill sets with the use of dry needling. The course has a large practical component with particular emphasis on safe needling practice as set out in the latest PAANZ safety guidelines.

The course is an introduction to Dry Needling, learning to needle major muscle groups in all areas of the body, but focused looking at conditions such as Achilles Tendonosis, Shoulder Impingement, and SIJ dysfunctions. As we look at each of these conditions, we teach you how to needle trigger points in the muscles that may be dysfunctional in those conditions and then look at how to rehab the conditions using exercises/stretches that Trevor has developed. The Foundation Course teaches you to needle most major muscle groups in the body safely and plenty to take back and use with patients on Monday morning! However, we do not needle over the thorax in the Foundation Course because of the risk of pneumothorax. Needling muscles over the thorax is considered more advanced and, therefore, is included in the Advanced Upper Limb Course.

The course is designed to help practitioners integrate dry needling into their clinical approach to address the underlying causes of some of the more common clinical presentations we treat. Having taught over 240 introductory and advanced courses for AUT, PAANZ, the APA of Australia and Asia over the last 18 years. Trevor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his teaching in this specialty area.

Prerequisites: All attendees must be registered in New Zealand and have a current APC. Non-PAANZ members and non-PNZ members are welcome.

Foundation of Traditional Acupuncture is a two-day, foundational yet intensive course designed to support physiotherapists and other regulated health professionals in developing robust clinical decision-making when integrating acupuncture into musculoskeletal practice.

The course presents core Traditional Acupuncture theory through a contemporary physiotherapy lens, translating traditional paradigms into clinically relevant frameworks applicable to pain, injury, and functional dysfunction.

The curriculum introduces essential traditional concepts including Yin–Yang theory, the Five Elements, Qi, Blood and Body Fluids, Zang Fu organ relationships, channel systems, and Bi syndrome differentiation. These principles are explored with a clear emphasis on how traditional pattern recognition informs assessment, reasoning, and treatment strategy in musculoskeletal and sports-related presentations. Rather than rote memorisation of theory, participants are guided to apply traditional concepts pragmatically to enhance clinical reasoning alongside established physiotherapy assessment and biomechanical models.

Teaching balances structured theoretical instruction with practical application (approximately 60:40 theory to practice), reinforcing learning through case-based discussion, palpation, point selection strategies, and supervised needling practice. Acupuncture is positioned as a clinical tool to extend physiotherapy practice, supporting pain modulation, tissue recovery, movement efficiency, and long-term capacity building. Cupping is introduced as a supportive modality within this framework.

Please note: This course is intended for practitioners who have completed Foundation Acupuncture Parts A and B, or equivalent training, and are competent in needling techniques. It provides a critical theoretical foundation for more advanced musculoskeletal acupuncture education, while remaining directly transferable to everyday clinical practice.

Vignette evenings are an interactive session. You do not have to provide a case study and there will be breakout groups to discuss the cases brought up for discussion.

Michelle runs a physiotherapy practice in Christchurch – AcuPhysio Ltd. She integrates pain science, needling, and nervous system regulation with a deep understanding of the mind–body connection. With decades of clinical experience, she is known for looking beyond symptoms to uncover the patterns, beliefs, and protective responses that keep people stuck, and for helping people take back control of their healing.

The case studies she will be discussing in the upcoming vignette will draw from the clients and experiences she has had.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the Zoom link.

The Advanced Dry Needling course for the Upper Half of the Body aims to teach course participants how to needle myofascial components from T7 upward. This is a practical course, including the teaching of advanced techniques around the scapulothoracic region, shoulder, upper limbs, and neck, with particular emphasis on safety and efficacy. One of the major goals is for participants to integrate the use of dry needling into their clinical reasoning process and their clinical approach to treat common (and not so common) upper body conditions.

Case studies will be discussed to further enhance the clinical reasoning behind the use of dry needling and its integration with other physiotherapy skill sets, such as manual therapy, muscle balancing, exercise prescription, and postural advice.

Having taught over 240 introductory and advanced courses for AUT, PAANZ, the APA of Australia and Asia over the last 18 years, Trevor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his teaching in this specialty area.

Course Prerequisites: Attendance requires completion of one of the following courses:

• PAANZ Foundation Dry Needling Course,
• APA Introductory Segmental and Dry Needling Course, or
• Post-Graduate Western Acupuncture qualification from AUT or Otago.

If you have undertaken dry needling training from another provider, please contact the PAANZ administrator to see if it qualifies as a prerequisite for the Advanced Course. All attendees must be registered as a health professional in New Zealand and have a current APC.

1. Review key mechanisms of manual therapy and needling in the light of current pain sciences

2. Discuss combining needling with manual therapy

3. Review current safety guidelines for needling

4. Review contraindications to manual therapy

5. Select multimodal treatment approaches for cervicogenic headaches

1. Review the anatomy of the lung fields
2. Review key acupuncture point and trigger point locations over the lung fields
3. Review needling techniques to ensure safety of practice over the lung fields
4. Review patient screening for acupuncture
5. Review the practice of gaining of appropriate informed consent
6. Reflect on the current literature on pneumothoraces and its implications to current practice

Vignette evenings are an interactive session. You do not have to provide a case study and there will be breakout groups to discuss the cases brought up for discussion.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the Zoom link.

This foundation course, taught by Trevor Montgomery in association with PAANZ, is suitable for all physiotherapists wishing to expand their clinical reasoning and treatment skill sets with the use of dry needling. The course has a large practical component with particular emphasis on safe needling practice as set out in the latest PAANZ safety guidelines.

The course is an introduction to Dry Needling, learning to needle major muscle groups in all areas of the body, but focused looking at conditions such as Achilles Tendonosis, Shoulder Impingement, and SIJ dysfunctions. As we look at each of these conditions, we teach you how to needle trigger points in the muscles that may be dysfunctional in those conditions and then look at how to rehab the conditions using exercises/stretches that Trevor has developed. The Foundation Course teaches you to needle most major muscle groups in the body safely and plenty to take back and use with patients on Monday morning! However, we do not needle over the thorax in the Foundation Course because of the risk of pneumothorax. Needling muscles over the thorax is considered more advanced and, therefore, is included in the Advanced Upper Limb Course.

The course is designed to help practitioners integrate dry needling into their clinical approach to address the underlying causes of some of the more common clinical presentations we treat. Having taught over 240 introductory and advanced courses for AUT, PAANZ, the APA of Australia and Asia over the last 18 years. Trevor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his teaching in this specialty area.

Prerequisites: All attendees must be registered in New Zealand and have a current APC. Non-PAANZ members and non-PNZ members are welcome.