Lorissa Klopak, MPT — Physiotherapist in Winnipeg | Elite Sports Injury Clinics
Lorissa Klopak is a registered physiotherapist at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. Vital, Winnipeg, with 12 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master of Physical Therapy and a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Manitoba and has built a specialized focus in lumbopelvic and hip rehabilitation — an area she has dedicated her post-graduate education to through advanced training with the Alison Grimaldi Hip Academy, SFMA, FMS, dry needling, acupuncture, and Mulligan Techniques. Lorissa specializes in gluteal tendinopathy, intra-articular hip pain (including hip osteoarthritis, labral tears, and hip impingement), and disc injuries with radicular symptoms — presentations that require a depth of expertise that most general physiotherapy practices do not provide.
Credentials & Education
Lorissa completed her physiotherapy training at the University of Manitoba School of Medical Rehabilitation (Masters of Rehabilitation Sciences). Her advanced certification portfolio includes SFMA Level 1 and 2 and FMS Level 1 and 2 from Functional Movement Systems, Orthopaedic Manual Therapy Level 1 and 2, Functional Dry Needling Level 1 and 2, Acupuncture, Mulligan Techniques Upper and Lower from the Mulligan Concept, the Alison Grimaldi Hip Academy — specialist-level training in hip pathology assessment and rehabilitation — and Physio Network Spine-Related Leg Pain. This combination of clinical certifications and specialist hip training positions Lorissa as one of Winnipeg’s most specialized physiotherapists for lateral hip pain, intra-articular hip conditions, and spinal-referred lower limb pain.
How Lorissa Treats
Lorissa’s clinical practice integrates functional dry needling — inserting fine monofilament needles into myofascial trigger points to produce a twitch response that releases tension, restores blood flow, and reduces pain — with acupuncture, which modulates the nervous system’s pain response through specific anatomical points. For hip and gluteal conditions, dry needling is used to target the gluteus medius, piriformis, and lateral hip musculature that are chronically overloaded in tendinopathy — reducing the protective tension that prevents tendon loading and exercise from being effective. This is a key clinical distinction: dry needling creates the tissue environment that makes exercise work, rather than being a standalone treatment.
Lorissa uses the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) from Functional Movement Systems as her primary diagnostic framework — identifying the movement pattern dysfunctions contributing to hip, lumbar, and lower limb pain before determining treatment targets. Mobilization with Movement (Mulligan Techniques), orthopaedic manual therapy, and targeted exercise prescription then address those identified dysfunctions systematically. Her specialization in the Alison Grimaldi Hip Academy framework means she uses validated clinical tests — including the gluteal test battery and specific provocation tests for intra-articular hip conditions — alongside dynamometer strength assessment to track objective progress throughout rehabilitation.
Conditions & Injuries Treated
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Lorissa has a specialist focus on lumbopelvic and hip conditions at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. Vital, Winnipeg. Her most common presentations include:
- Gluteal tendinopathy (lateral hip pain) — gradual onset or sudden load change; gluteal test battery assessment and SFMA evaluation of contributing factors; dry needling or soft tissue mobilization; extensive load management education and targeted tendon-loading exercise program; pain reduction within 8 weeks with full rehabilitation up to 6 months
- Intra-articular hip pain — hip osteoarthritis, CAM impingement, hip dysplasia, and labral tears; thorough SFMA and clinical hip testing; dynamometer strength assessment for objective tracking; education on postural changes, gait modification, and load management; dry needling, acupuncture, gentle joint mobilization, and progressive strengthening
- Disc injuries with radicular symptoms — neck or low back disc pain with referral into the arm or leg; symptom management and centralization as first priority; SFMA to identify contributing movement factors; dry needling, acupuncture, TENS, joint mobilization, and progressive exercise; significant improvement typically at 3–4 months
- Spine-related leg pain — sciatic-pattern or referred leg pain with spinal origin; assessment using SFMA and Physio Network spine-related protocols
- Low back pain — acute and chronic lumbar conditions with functional movement assessment
- Sports injuries — muscle strains, overuse conditions, and return-to-activity rehabilitation
Lorissa does not currently treat hand conditions, vestibular therapy, or pelvic floor therapy — referring these to appropriate specialists.
Clinical Approach & Philosophy
Lorissa’s treatment philosophy centres on understanding what each patient expects from physiotherapy and what their goals are — and then tailoring every aspect of the treatment plan to those goals specifically. Open communication is a core value: she wants patients to feel genuinely heard, to ask questions, and to have their concerns addressed throughout the process.
A first appointment begins with a thorough 30-minute subjective history — covering injury presentation, medical history, social history, and goals — followed by an objective assessment using SFMA and specific clinical tests to reach a diagnosis. Once identified, the session moves to education, hands-on treatment, and exercise prescription.
What distinguishes Lorissa is the combination of her dry needling expertise, her specialist-level hip training, and her ability to adapt treatment plans based on how each patient is progressing — not sticking rigidly to a protocol when the patient needs a different approach.
Patient Outcomes
Lorissa’s specialist area in hip and lumbopelvic rehabilitation consistently produces outcomes for patients who have been struggling with lateral hip pain or intra-articular hip conditions for months without lasting improvement. Patients who arrive frustrated and load-avoidant — having been told to rest or do general strengthening — respond well to the specific, diagnosis-led approach Lorissa uses: identifying the exact provocative loads and tissue pathology, educating on why load management matters, and then systematically rebuilding tendon and joint capacity through a carefully graded program.
Personal & Community
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Lorissa played competitive hockey and softball growing up and still plays hockey, slo-pitch, and golf. Her three children keep her busy running around the city for their sports activities — a family life she loves and that keeps her closely connected to the world of sport participation and its physical demands across all ages.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lorissa Klopak, treatment approach, and booking.
Lorissa Klopak, MPT, is a registered physiotherapist at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. Vital, Winnipeg, with 12 years of experience. She has a specialist focus in lumbopelvic and hip rehabilitation — including gluteal tendinopathy, hip osteoarthritis, hip impingement, labral tears, and disc injuries with radicular symptoms. She holds advanced certifications in SFMA, FMS, Functional Dry Needling, Acupuncture, and the Alison Grimaldi Hip Academy.
Yes. Lorissa Klopak at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. Vital is one of Winnipeg's most specialized physiotherapists for gluteal tendinopathy and lateral hip pain, having completed the Alison Grimaldi Hip Academy — specialist-level training in hip pathology assessment and rehabilitation. She uses the gluteal test battery for precise diagnosis, dry needling for trigger point release in the hip musculature, and a specifically calibrated tendon-loading exercise program. Pain reduction is typically seen within 8 weeks.
Yes. Lorissa Klopak at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. Vital treats intra-articular hip conditions including CAM impingement (femoroacetabular impingement), hip dysplasia, labral tears, and hip osteoarthritis. She uses specific clinical hip tests and dynamometer strength assessment for objective tracking, and combines education on load management and gait modification with dry needling, acupuncture, joint mobilization, and progressive strengthening. Book at physiowinnipeg.com.
Lorissa Klopak at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. Vital treats disc injuries with radicular symptoms by first focusing on symptom management and centralization — reducing the referred pain into the leg or arm. She uses SFMA and Physio Network Spine-Related Leg Pain protocols to identify contributing movement factors, then applies dry needling, acupuncture, TENS, joint mobilization, and progressive exercise. Most patients with disc-related radiculopathy see meaningful change around the 3–4 month mark as the inflammatory cascade resolves.
Lorissa Klopak is accepting new patients at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. Vital, Winnipeg. No referral required. Book at physiowinnipeg.com or call the St. Vital clinic. Lorissa specializes in hip rehabilitation, gluteal tendinopathy, intra-articular hip pain, disc injuries, low back pain, and sports injuries across all ages and activity levels.