Non-Surgical
Treatment

If the assessment physician determines that you are not a candidate for joint replacement surgery at this time, they will recommend conservative treatments to help ease your joint pain.

These treatments may include:

• Physical therapy: you can find more information on physical therapy on our ‘Staying Active with Arthritis’ page.
  • GLA:D Canada is an 8-week education and exercise program for those with stiff and/or painful knees and/or hips or those with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis. This includes 2-3 education sessions and 12 group exercise sessions (twice a week for six weeks). Cost varies by clinic.
  • Own Your Arthritis
• Injections: you can find more information about injections here.
• Bracing: you can find more information on bracing here.
• Referral to a dietitian: an increased body mass index (a measurement of your weight per your height squared) can contribute to joint pain. An assessment surgeon may refer you to a dietitian in order to help you lose weight to see if that reduces your joint pain.
• Referral to other specialties: if the assessment surgeon does not believe that joint replacement will resolve your pain, they may refer you to other specialties to determine whether there are other underlying causes that can be treated.

If conservative management proves to be ineffective at resolving your joint pain and you would like to be seen again by a assessment surgeon, you have two options:

• If it has been less than two years since your appointment with the assessment surgeon, please contact our booking clerk at (780) 432-5627.
• If it has been more than two years since your appointment, you will need to be referred to our clinic again by your family doctor.