Nasal enemas, humming and yoga in ACC recipe

ACC has been accused by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters of funding "bizarre" injury rehabilitation programmes, including nasal enemas, humming and being forced to stand in a paddock and laugh.

The treatment included watching the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest on video.

The participants included former Chiefs player Paul Miller, who told TV3 last night that he felt the treatment was "degrading".

Miller was getting treatment after he ruptured a tendon in his foot.

One woman said she felt humiliated watching Cuckoo's Nest, which starred Jack Nicholson and was set in a mental hospital.

Mr Peters asked ACC Minister Ruth Dyson what she was doing about people being forced to go through the schemes or face losing their payments.

"[One scheme] in the Waikato requires accident victims to undertake a nasal enema by pouring water into their noses, sit cross legged on a floor with their thumbs in their ears humming and also being forced to stand in a paddock and laugh at each other," Mr Peters said.

"How can she have any confidence whatsoever that such seemingly pointless exercises provide any genuine rehabilitative qualities or effect?"

Ms Dyson said Mr Peters had probably given her more information than she needed.

"But it is new information to me. It is information that I find interesting and I will be following it up with some rigour," she said.

Most rehabilitation programmes did good work for accident victims, the minister added.

Mr Peters asked what ACC did to ensure the people they hired were "sane" or whether there was more than one "fruitloop" out there.

Ms Dyson said a number of people provided rehabilitation in different areas and most people were satisfied with their treatment.

Mr Peters said one of his constituents, a 50-year-old woman, went through the treatment programme for a long-term shoulder injury.

"She is deeply upset that she is being treated like an idiot," Mr Peters said.

ACC last night said there were no plans to extend the course beyond the Waikato.

The rehabilitation programme, aimed at helping claimants prepare for work or independence, had "optional elements that included yoga relaxation techniques".

It was made clear to the nine ACC claimants they did not have to participate in the nasal irrigation, which was introduced to improve their ability to cope with pain.

"The treatment provider is emphatic that no one was forced to take part in the yoga techniques," ACC said.

The woman referred to by Mr Peters had voluntarily taken part in the yoga nasal irrigation.

"Five of the nine on the course found sufficient benefit from the technique to purchase extra equipment so they could continue the yoga nasal irrigation at home, including the woman."

ACC said most of the nine claimants had complained of sinus problems or headaches.

"The yoga master supervising the techniques spent 20-30 minutes with each claimant and identified that most had sinus problems and/or headaches.

"So the yoga nasal irrigation and other pain management techniques such as humming and laughter were deemed appropriate.

"Humming is ... intended to raise self-awareness and block out distractions. Laughter releases endorphins, which also help with pain management."