Rachel Wu, BMR-PT — Physiotherapist in Winnipeg | Elite Sports Injury Clinics
Rachel Wu is a registered physiotherapist at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. James, Winnipeg, with 17 years of clinical experience — graduating from the University of Manitoba in 2009. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation in Physical Therapy (BMR-PT) and is certified in both Acupuncture and Functional Dry Needling. She specializes in functional dry needling with electrotherapy, SFMA and functional movement assessment, Mulligan mobilization techniques for upper and lower body, and corrective and progressive exercise prescription. Rachel treats the full breadth of musculoskeletal and sports conditions across all populations and ages, with particular expertise in shoulder ROM dysfunction, teen dancer knee pain, desk worker neck pain and headaches, and perimenopause strength training for women — a specialty she describes as her favourite type of patient to work with.
Credentials & Education
Rachel completed her Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation in Physical Therapy at the University of Manitoba School of Medical Rehabilitation in 2009. Her advanced certification portfolio includes Functional Dry Needling with Electrotherapy, Acupuncture (certified), the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) from Functional Movement Systems, the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Gait Happens Level 1 for gait analysis and foot mechanics, and Mulligan Techniques for both upper and lower body. She works with HEB Insurance and WCB for workplace reconditioning of healthcare aides and physical workers — writing detailed progress reports and coordinating return-to-work programs for patients who have been away from work for 6–12 months due to injury.
How Rachel Treats
Rachel’s functional dry needling practice uses fine monofilament needles combined with electrotherapy (electrical stimulation through the needles) to target myofascial trigger points — producing a stronger depolarization response than dry needling alone and accelerating tissue healing. This makes electro dry needling particularly effective for patients with persistent shoulder dysfunction, neck tension, and conditions where standard needling or manual therapy has not fully resolved symptoms. Acupuncture complements this by modulating pain centrally — reducing the neurological sensitization that sustains chronic neck pain and headaches in desk workers, and providing effective pain relief for shoulder conditions that are limiting overhead movement.
The Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) guides Rachel’s diagnostic process — evaluating how the body moves as a whole system to identify the movement pattern dysfunctions contributing to pain, not just the site of symptoms. Mulligan Techniques — applying a sustained accessory joint glide while the patient actively moves through the restricted range — produce immediate pain-free movement for shoulder, elbow, knee, and ankle conditions that standard mobilization achieves more slowly. This integrated assessment-and-treatment model is why patients who have had multiple previous providers without lasting relief often achieve different outcomes with Rachel’s 17 years of refined clinical experience.
Conditions & Injuries Treated
Rachel treats the full breadth of musculoskeletal conditions at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. James, Winnipeg. Her most distinctive presentations include:
- Shoulder ROM restriction and scapular dysfunction — progressive shoulder pain without specific injury; scapular dysfunction assessed and treated with functional dry needling for trigger point release and scapular mobilizations; exercises focused on scapulohumeral rhythm progression through range of motion toward overhead loading and return to throwing or overhead sport
- Teen dancer patellofemoral pain syndrome — overuse knee pain at peak training periods; biomechanical assessment revealing knock-knee mechanics and hip weakness from growth-related bone-muscle mismatch; focus on hip strengthening and optimizing limb mechanics from ankle through knee to hip
- Desk worker neck pain and headaches — sustained posture neck tension with headaches; acupuncture for neck pain and headache management; postural exercises targeting upper back strengthening, pectoral lengthening, and relaxed breathing patterns
- Perimenopause strength training — women over 35 experiencing muscle mass loss with hormonal changes; progressive overload barbell training including front squats and conventional deadlifts; building to 6–8 rep tolerance with good form and confidence; patients leave feeling stronger and more empowered in the gym
- ACL rehabilitation — pre-hab and post-surgical; progressive criteria-based program
- WCB workplace reconditioning — healthcare aides and physical workers returning from 6–12 month injury-related absences; coordination with HEB Insurance and WCB; progress reporting and graduated return-to-work programs
- MPI motor vehicle accident rehabilitation; post-surgical rehabilitation across all orthopaedic conditions; sports injuries across all ages and sports
Rachel does not treat pelvic floor or vestibular therapy patients, and prefers not to treat patients under age 8.
Clinical Approach & Philosophy
Rachel’s treatment philosophy is collaborative from day one — working with patients to find the right challenges for acute load management that prioritize long-term function. She provides extensive education throughout the recovery process, giving patients the necessary tools and information to understand what is happening in their body and why. This includes pain management tools, activity modification strategies, and exercise progressions they can use between appointments and after discharge.
A first appointment begins with a detailed subjective history — Rachel wants to hear the patient’s story, understand why they are coming in now, and learn how the injury is affecting their daily life. Movement assessment follows: not linear testing of the painful area alone, but a whole-body evaluation. From those findings, Rachel provides education on the working diagnosis and projected prognosis, then delivers hands-on treatment — soft tissue work, joint mobilizations, acupuncture or dry needling, laser, TENS, or heat depending on what the patient needs and wants to try. The appointment closes with exercises that are reviewed in the clinic together, adjusted based on how the patient is feeling, and modified to incorporate whatever equipment they have at home. Rachel follows up with an email containing important physiotherapy notes and the exercise prescription — and invites patients to email between appointments with questions.
Patients describe Rachel’s 17 years of experience as a palpable clinical asset — they feel heard, they trust her clinical reasoning, and she has consistently helped patients who have tried multiple other providers.
Patient Outcomes
Rachel worked with a post-back-surgery patient who had been off work for months before the surgery. She managed the post-surgical pain and range of motion, then gradually introduced strength and conditioning work with careful progressive loading. Through time, education, gradual progressions, and the patient’s dedication, a gradual return-to-work program was developed — Rachel coordinating with the insurance company through detailed progress reports to document readiness and support safe reintegration. The patient successfully returned to work and is now living an active and healthy life, including both work and hobbies, without low back pain. This case reflects Rachel’s commitment to long-term function over short-term symptom management — and her expertise in the documentation and reporting that complex return-to-work cases require.
Personal & Community
Born and raised in Teulon, Manitoba, Rachel moved to Winnipeg at 18 to study at the University of Winnipeg and has been in the city ever since. Outside the clinic, she leads an active family life with her husband and two daughters — who play ringette, softball, and piano. She is the head coach of the U12A ringette team for SWRA, at the rink every weekend from September to April, and plays ringette, hockey, and tennis herself. She lifts weights and serves as the physiotherapist for the Healthy Role Models community — an online program for women globally focused on active, healthy living. Her family loves game night at all levels of competition.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rachel Wu, treatment approach, and booking.
Rachel Wu, BMR-PT, is a registered physiotherapist at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. James, Winnipeg, with 17 years of clinical experience. She specializes in functional dry needling with electrotherapy, SFMA functional movement assessment, Mulligan Techniques for upper and lower body, and progressive exercise prescription. Her distinctive clinical interests include perimenopause strength training for women, teen dancer knee pain, desk worker neck pain and headaches, shoulder ROM dysfunction, and WCB workplace reconditioning.
Yes. Rachel Wu at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. James has a specialized interest in working with women in perimenopause who want to get stronger. Her approach focuses on progressive overload barbell training — including front squats and conventional deadlifts — building to 6–8 rep tolerance with good form and confidence. Women over 35 begin losing muscle mass with hormonal changes; Rachel's exercise programming directly addresses this through resistance training that builds strength and confidence in the gym. This is her favourite type of patient to work with.
Yes. Rachel Wu at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. James is certified in both Functional Dry Needling with Electrotherapy and Acupuncture. She uses electro dry needling — which combines dry needling with electrical stimulation through the needles for stronger trigger point release and accelerated tissue healing — alongside acupuncture for pain modulation. Both are integrated into comprehensive physiotherapy programs targeting the root cause of symptoms.
Rachel Wu at Elite Sports Injury Clinics St. James works with HEB Insurance and WCB for workplace reconditioning of healthcare aides and physical workers who have been away from work for 6–12 months due to injury. She designs gradual return-to-work programs with progressive strength and conditioning, writes detailed progress reports for insurance companies, and coordinates communication to ensure safe reintegration. Her 17 years of experience with complex cases and return-to-work coordination make her particularly effective for these presentations.
Rachel Wu is accepting new patients at Elite Sports Injury Clinics in St. James, Winnipeg. No referral required. Book at physiowinnipeg.com or call the St. James clinic. Rachel treats the full range of musculoskeletal conditions across all ages including shoulder conditions, knee pain, neck pain, back pain, ACL rehabilitation, sports injuries, WCB reconditioning, MPI motor vehicle accident cases, and prenatal/postnatal patients. She does not treat pelvic floor or vestibular therapy patients, and prefers not to treat patients under age 8.