Manitoba Health Care Workers are set to strike if they don’t reach a deal with the province by March 7, 2025. 

What does that mean if you need physiotherapy at the hospital or urgent care in Winnipeg?

According to CBC News' interview with the Manitoba Association of Healthcare Professionals, "there would be significant delays and disruptions across the province for a wide range of services, including... therapeutic/rehabilitation services in hospital and community, e.g. physiotherapy" and also "patient discharge from emergency departments and medical units."

We’re here for you. Our physiotherapists are medical rehabilitation professionals. This blog post summarizes seven ways our physiotherapists can help you during a Manitoba Health Care Worker Strike.

1. Direct Access for Muscle, Bone & Joint Injuries

Many urgent care visits involve sprains, strains, and minor fractures that our physiotherapists can assess and manage. Manitobans have "direct access" to private practice physiotherapy.  That means you don’t need a doctor’s referral to go straight to a private physiotherapy clinic, like River East Physiotherapy, for care.

Will a Health Care Worker strike increase wait times for urgent care?  For bone, muscle, and joint injuries (e.g. back pain, ankle sprains) come straight to us for physiotherapy without a physician referral, to eliminate an urgent care visit.

2. Rapid Assessment and Treatment for Workplace, Motor Vehicle Injuries, and Sports Injuries

Our physiotherapists can provide same-day or next-day appointments for acute injuries, reducing the need for urgent care visits. 

Our physiotherapists can triage your injury.  We work with the rest of your health care team: once we’ve assessed you, we will refer you to a doctor or to urgent care if that’s what’s right for you. Otherwise, we'll provide the medical rehabilitation you need right away.

Our clinic works closely with the Worker’s Compensation Board and Manitoba Public Insurance for clients who need rehab after workplace or vehicle accident injuries.  Learn more about how we direct bill to these insurance companies, and what you need to know to seek physiotherapy after injury, here on our Insurance Coverage page.

3. Post-Surgical & Fracture Rehab Management

If you receive minimal-to-no physiotherapy in the hospital after your surgery, our physiotherapists can take over: we also provide early rehab post-discharge.  This means that after surgery, we help you manage mobility, pain, and function – reducing your risk of complications and the need to be re-admitted to hospital.

4. Vestibular and Concussion Rehabilitation

Vertigo and other symptoms of disruption to your vestibular system (your inner ear) can feel scary enough to go to the hospital.  But we have specially trained physiotherapists who can diagnose and treat your vestibular condition – bypassing the need to visit urgent care or your doctor. 

That said, if our assessment suggests you do need to see a doctor or other health professional, we will refer you to them right away.

Read more here about vestibular rehab at our clinic.

5. Neurological Conditions including Brain Injuries and Concussions

Our physiotherapists provide medical rehabilitation from concussions and we treat a wide range of other neurological conditions, like Parkinson's, Acquired Brain Injury, and Multiple Sclerosis. 

Say, after a stroke, your physiotherapy care in the hospital is cut short due to the strike.  We’re here to continue your stroke rehab - now and for the years to come. 

Learn more here about how we get you moving better after a stroke.

Learn more here about the neurological conditions we treat.

6. Chronic Pain & Arthritis Management

Chronic pain and osteoarthritis often lead to urgent care visits due to flare-ups.

Our physiotherapists have extensive experience with arthritis relief – read all about our Arthritis Relief Program here.  We provide drug-free arthritis pain management strategies and exercise programs to reduce the need for hospital and emergency services.

7. Pain Science Education & Preventative Care

Many visits to public hospitals stem from unmanaged pain or lack of education on pain management.  And most people don't know their options for drug-free pain management.

Physiotherapists are experts in drug-free pain management. For instance, we offer pain neuroscience education, ergonomic advice, hands-on treatment, and preventative strategies to keep you out of urgent care.

Background

Background on physiotherapy in Manitoba, and the threat of a Manitoba Health Care Workers Strike in March 2025:

In Manitoba, some medical rehabilitation (a.k.a. physiotherapy) is available through public sector health care, and the rest is delivered privately. 

Since physiotherapy is medically necessary care, and the province only provides a small portion of what Manitobans need, many people have extended health benefits plans to help cover the cost of physiotherapy.  Otherwise, Manitobans are required to pay out-of-pocket for medical rehabilitation.

If Manitoba Health Care Workers go on strike March 7, publicly funded physiotherapy will likely be disrupted.  Currently, public sector physiotherapists provide support such as:

• Getting you up and moving safely after a surgery or major injury
• Early education and treatment for moving better with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, Ataxia, Post-Stroke, Acquired Brain Injury, Concussion, Multiple Sclerosis, or spinal cord injuries.
• Collaborating with your larger health care team (e.g. doctors, surgeons, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists) to get you back to what you need to do in your life, work or home after an injury.

Physiotherapists who complete their training at Canadian Universities have a minimum of 6 years of training, including a Master's Degree in medical rehab.  In Manitoba, all physiotherapists are provincially regulated by the College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba, to ensure a high quality of care.