Leah Dlot, BMR-PT, FCAMPT — Physiotherapist in Winnipeg | Elite Sports Injury Clinics
Leah Dlot is a registered physiotherapist at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in Bridgwater, Winnipeg, with 20 years of clinical experience and one of the highest levels of advanced training available in the physiotherapy profession.
Leah holds a Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation in Physical Therapy (BMR-PT) from the University of Manitoba, a Master of Clinical Science in Advanced Health Care Practice (MClSc) from Western University, and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (FCAMPT) — a post-graduate designation held by fewer than 10% of Canadian physiotherapists.
She specializes in high-performance athletes including gymnasts, track athletes, and dancers, chronic low back and neck pain, complex shoulder rehabilitation, and persistent pain conditions that have not responded to previous treatment.
Credentials & Education
Leah completed her physiotherapy training at the University of Manitoba and her MClSc and FCAMPT at Western University — the highest available clinical standard in Canadian manual therapy. Her advanced certification portfolio includes:
- Certified Acupuncturist
- Functional Dry Needling
- Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) — Functional Movement Systems
- Functional Movement Screen (FMS) — Functional Movement Systems
- Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) — Prague School
- Kettlebell certifications
- Pelvic Floor and Women’s Health training
As a former high-performance gymnast herself, Leah brings a lived understanding of elite sport demands that is impossible to replicate through coursework alone — giving her a clinical and personal credibility with athletes navigating complex, recurrent injuries that few physiotherapists in Winnipeg can offer.
Core Techniques
Leah holds a Fellowship of the Canadian Academy of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (FCAMPT) — a post-graduate designation requiring advanced clinical training, examination, and peer review in spinal and peripheral joint assessment, mobilization, and manipulation. Fewer than 10% of Canadian physiotherapists hold this designation. At Elite Sports Injury Clinics in Bridgwater, this credential means Leah’s diagnostic and manual therapy skills have been validated to the highest professional standard — making her particularly equipped for complex musculoskeletal presentations that require a more detailed diagnostic lens than standard physiotherapy provides.
Leah’s functional dry needling practice — including electro dry needling — targets myofascial trigger points in the neck, shoulder, thoracic spine, and hip girdle to reduce pain, release muscular guarding, and restore movement options before progressive exercise begins.
Leah’s assessment model is movement-based from the first appointment. Using SFMA, FMS, and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) from the Prague School, she evaluates fundamental movement patterns — walking, breathing, spinal mobility, single-leg balance — before progressing to functional tasks like squatting, hinging, and lifting. This full-body functional diagnosis identifies not only the medical diagnosis but the contributing factors maintaining symptoms — training load, breathing patterns, motor control deficits, previous injuries — that region-focused assessment models frequently miss.
Kettlebell-based progressive strengthening then rebuilds movement capacity in a manner that transfers to sport, work, and daily life. Leah regularly collaborates with coaches and trainers when treating high-performance athletes, integrating clinic-based rehabilitation with sport-specific training demands.
Conditions & Injuries Treated
- High-performance athletes — gymnasts, track athletes, and dancers with complex, recurrent injuries; thorough history including training load, competition demands, and psychological factors; collaborative communication with coaches
- Chronic low back pain — whole-person assessment including lifestyle, breathing, and stress factors; manual therapy, dry needling, and progressive strength and motor control work
- Chronic neck pain — multifactorial assessment including posture, thoracic spine, and full-body movement; manual therapy, dry needling, and progressive endurance and postural control exercises
- Complex shoulder rehabilitation — whole-body approach addressing thoracic spine, rib cage, scapular control, and breathing; kettlebell-based strengthening; management of post-surgical shoulders with multiple previous interventions
- Persistent pain conditions — patients who have tried multiple providers without lasting relief; functional and clinical diagnosis to identify contributing factors previously missed
- Post-surgical rehabilitation — complex cases requiring staged, thoughtful progression through tissue healing phases
- Sports injuries — overuse conditions, tendinopathies, stress injuries, and return to high-performance competition
Leah does not currently see pelvic floor patients requiring internal assessment or treatment, nor complex neurological diagnoses. She refers these appropriately to ensure patients receive the most specialized care available.
Clinical Approach & Philosophy
Leah believes in understanding the whole person — not just the injured body part. Pain and injury are influenced by how someone moves, their training demands, stress, sleep, previous injuries, and concurrent health factors. Her assessments are movement-based, beginning with basic patterns and progressing to functional and sport-specific tasks — developing both a clinical and a functional diagnosis that identifies why symptoms persist, not just what they are.
From a very simple standpoint, her goal is to first calm things down and then gradually build the patient back up — from reducing pain and improving movement options through progressive strength, control, and tolerance for meaningful activities.
What distinguishes Leah is the depth, clarity, and partnership she brings to every session. Patients consistently describe feeling genuinely heard — leaving with clarity and confidence about what is happening, what the plan is, and why each step matters. She is known for the balance between hands-on treatment and active rehabilitation: manual therapy creates the opportunity for change; exercise locks that change in. The result is patients who feel accomplished, capable, and empowered — not dependent on treatment.
Patient Outcomes
One of Leah’s most significant recoveries involved a young university athlete who had undergone two major shoulder surgeries and still did not feel confident in his body. He presented with persistent tightness through his neck, chest, and upper back, difficulty with strength training, and avoidance of activities he loved. His body had built compensatory patterns around the surgeries that were maintaining his pain.
Leah began by calming things down — thoracic mobility, rib cage mechanics, and reducing muscle overactivity — before progressively rebuilding through breathing work, scapular control, and progressive strength training. Over time, he returned to lifting, playing recreational sports, and training toward endurance goals. The shift from feeling fragile to feeling capable and motivated again is what Leah considers among her most meaningful clinical work.
Personal & Community
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Leah is a former high-performance gymnast whose career in physiotherapy was shaped by the sport she loved.
Outside the clinic, she is a parent of two young children who are exploring hockey, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, and more — a family life that keeps her closely connected to the world of youth sport development and long-term athletic participation. She stays active through running, strength training, yoga, and mobility work, and values the personal discipline of movement as both a professional commitment and a personal practice.
Book your appointment with Leah Dlot
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Leah Dlot, treatment approach, and booking.
Leah Dlot, BMR-PT, MClSc, FCAMPT, is a registered physiotherapist at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in Bridgwater, Winnipeg, with 20 years of experience. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy — held by fewer than 10% of Canadian physiotherapists. Leah specializes in high-performance athletes including gymnasts, track athletes, and dancers, chronic low back and neck pain, complex shoulder rehabilitation, and persistent pain that has not responded to previous treatment.
Yes. Leah Dlot at Elite Sports Injury Clinics Bridgwater is one of Winnipeg's most specialized physiotherapists for high-performance gymnasts, track athletes, and dancers. As a former high-performance gymnast herself, she understands the specific injury patterns, training demands, and psychological factors unique to these sports. She works collaboratively with coaches to manage complex, recurrent injuries and guide safe return to competition — and is referred specifically for athletes with long-standing presentations that haven't resolved with standard physiotherapy.
FCAMPT — Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy — is a post-graduate designation requiring advanced training, clinical examination, and peer review in manual therapy and musculoskeletal assessment. Fewer than 10% of Canadian physiotherapists hold it. Leah Dlot at Elite Sports Injury Clinics Bridgwater is an FCAMPT-certified physiotherapist in Winnipeg — meaning her diagnostic and manual therapy competency has been validated to the highest professional standard in Canada.
Yes. This is one of Leah Dlot's core specialties at Elite Sports Injury Clinics Bridgwater. Chronic low back pain that persists after previous treatment often involves contributing factors — breathing patterns, pelvic control, training load, and lifestyle — that standard region-focused physiotherapy misses. Leah's whole-body, movement-based assessment using SFMA and DNS identifies these factors. Treatment combines education, manual therapy, dry needling, and progressive exercise to rebuild movement confidence and lasting resilience.
Leah Dlot is accepting new patients at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in Bridgwater, Winnipeg. No referral required. Book at physiowinnipeg.com or call the Bridgwater clinic. Leah treats high-performance athletes, chronic back and neck pain, complex shoulder rehabilitation, persistent pain, sports injuries, and post-surgical cases. Her FCAMPT designation makes her particularly suited for complex presentations requiring advanced diagnostic and manual therapy expertise.