Hospitals in Ontario and surgeons, have only recently been opening and scheduling patients for “elective procedures”. This has left people all over Ontario, including many of our patients, waiting longer for surgeries like joint replacements, rotator cuff repairs, scopes, and ACL repairs. Some people have taken this time to maintain their strength and function. Unfortunately many people did not have access to Physiotherapy over this time period.

Many people, likely would not have been referred to Physiotherapy for help with pain control, strength building, or range of motion exercises. For a period of time many Physiotherapy clinics were closed to in-person physio appointment.

While a person waits for joint-replacement surgery (total-knee-replacement / total-hip replacement), accessing physiotherapy in some capacity is a great choice.

Why do Physio prior to joint replacement surgery?

• Maintain Function – Many people once diagnosed with arthritis may experience pain and joint stiffness. Learned disuse, progressive weakness, progressive joint stiffness, and a functional decline are real concerns. Daily activities like stairs, getting in and out of a chair or toilet, getting up and down off of the ground, and interacting with loved ones. With this may be suggestions for the use of gait aids like walkers or canes. Safety is a priority for those having problems with movement.
• Pain Management – Physiotherapy and physiotherapists can provide pain management techniques as well as strengthening and joint range of motion. Your physiotherapist should address all of these concerns and help provide progressive solutions, while respecting where you’re at.
• Improved Recovery – a stronger body before surgery is a stronger body after surgery. This often leads to a smoother recovery and maintaining skills that may be more difficult to regain if lost, as we get older.

What does “Pre-habilitation” look like?

This depends on the person and their goals. A physiotherapist will work with a person based on their goals and their ability to be independent.

If a person may be more unstable or at risk of falling during some activities, they should doing their exercises with someone by their side. The may have some exercises that they are given that they are able to do indecently.

If a person is independent and motivated with their exercises, and managing their pain well, they may choose to check in every 2 to 4 weeks. This allows the body a chance to adapt to the exercises and movements. At the check-in exercises can be progressed or modified to keep progressing. The body is able to change and adapt, but if an exercises is too easy or never changes, our bodies also will not change and adapt.

A person may decide that they do best with appointments closer together. They may get pain relief from some hands-on or “manual” physio techniques. They may be less motivated to do exercises on their own and like having that feedback. Our clinic is providing a hybrid model. We are able to see patients in person in our North Oakville clinic, and virtually through the computer (our Physiotherapists can treat patients virtually from all over Ontario) . We have had great success with both!

Some patients will do a combination of the above. They may check-in with their Physio every 4-6 weeks for exercise progressions, but come in more frequently for pain management treatments. This may include joint mobilizations, soft tissue work, seeing a registered massage therapist, having acupuncture treatments.

Unfortunately our Oakville physio clinic is not an OHIP clinic. There are only a small amount of physio clinics in Ontario that are able to provide OHIP physio, our clinic opened 6 years ago, after the government provided “OHIP licences”.

We are able to receive payment privately by the individual, and through private insurance benefits. We are able to bill directly to MOST insurance companies.

Contact us to book in or if you have any questions for us. We would be happy to help!