Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It affects the whole joint and causes pain, stiffness and reduced movement, most often in the knees, hips and hands. International guidelines recommend structured exercise and education as core, first-line treatments, and a Cochrane review found that exercise reduces pain and improves physical function in knee osteoarthritis. Physiotherapy turns that evidence into a plan that fits your joints, your fitness and your goals, alongside hands-on care to ease pain and stiffness.
At a glance
- What it is
- Osteoarthritis affects the whole joint, causing pain, stiffness and reduced movement — most often in the knees, hips and hands
- First-line care
- Structured exercise and education are core treatments recommended by international guidelines (OARSI 2019)
- The evidence
- A Cochrane review found that exercise reduces pain and improves physical function in knee osteoarthritis
- Inflammatory arthritis
- Rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis need medical care from your doctor or rheumatologist; physiotherapy can support it
- At McKelvie
- 60-minute one-on-one physiotherapy assessment ($120) in Pickering; no referral needed
What is arthritis?
Arthritis means joint pain and inflammation, and there are many types. The most common is osteoarthritis, which affects the whole joint — cartilage, bone, ligaments and the surrounding muscles. It most often affects the knees, hips, hands and spine, causing pain, stiffness and reduced movement that can make walking, stairs and everyday tasks harder.
Other types, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are inflammatory conditions that need medical treatment from your doctor or a rheumatologist. Physiotherapy can support that care.
Symptoms
- Joint pain that’s worse with activity or later in the day
- Stiffness first thing in the morning that eases within about half an hour
- Reduced range of movement
- Swelling, creaking or grinding in the joint
- Difficulty with stairs, walking, standing up from a chair or gripping
When to see your doctor
See your doctor promptly if a joint becomes suddenly hot, red and swollen, if you have fever with joint pain, or if several joints become painful and stiff, especially with morning stiffness that lasts more than an hour — these can be signs of infection or inflammatory arthritis.
How physiotherapy helps
International guidelines recommend structured exercise and education as core, first-line treatments for knee and hip osteoarthritis (Bannuru et al., 2019). A Cochrane review found that exercise reduces pain and improves physical function in knee osteoarthritis (Fransen et al., 2015).
Your physiotherapy plan may include:
- Strengthening exercise for the muscles that support the joint
- Range-of-motion and mobility work to ease stiffness
- Hands-on manual therapy to relieve pain and restore movement
- Education and pacing — how to stay active without flaring your symptoms
Assess
Which joints are affected, how you move, and what you’d like to get back to doing.
Strengthen & move
A progressive exercise plan, with hands-on care to ease pain and stiffness.
Self-manage
Practical pacing and flare-up strategies so you can stay active long-term.
Why choose McKelvie Physiotherapy for arthritis?
- One-on-one care in private rooms — longer appointments, never rushed or double-booked.
- Guideline-based exercise, tailored to your joints and fitness.
- Hands-on treatment for stiff, painful joints.
- Acupuncture and massage therapy under the same roof if you’d like to add them.
- Direct billing to most major insurers — and no referral needed.
Sources
- OARSI guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (Bannuru RR, et al.), 2019.
- Exercise for osteoarthritis of the knee. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Fransen M, et al.), 2015.