Find Relief from Osteoarthritis Pain
Find Relief from Osteoarthritis Pain

Find Relief from Osteoarthritis Pain

Find Relief from Osteoarthritis Pain

Are you experiencing persistent joint pain, particularly in a weight-bearing joint like your hip or knee? Do you ever notice a clicking or grinding sensation in your painful joint? If so, you may have developed osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis in North America.

Arthritis is an umbrella term for over 100 conditions that cause joint inflammation and lead to pain and restricted mobility. The source of that inflammation will vary depending on the type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is caused by the degeneration of the cartilage and bone tissue in the affected joint.

Osteoarthritis has no cure and can profoundly impact your overall quality of life, making it harder for you to stay active, keep up with chores, and enjoy time with your loved ones. Fortunately, physical therapy at Elements Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation offers several tools and techniques to help you manage your symptoms — often enough that you can delay or even avoid surgical interventions.

If you’re tired of living with osteoarthritis pain, call us to schedule an appointment today!

We’re a 2026 Canadian Choice Award Winner!

We are proud and grateful to share that Elements Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation has been named a 2026 Canadian Choice Award Winner. This recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the voices, experiences, and trust of the community we are honoured to serve every day.

At Elements, our mission has always been to provide personalized, evidence-based care in a welcoming environment where patients feel heard, supported, and empowered throughout their recovery. Being recognized with this award reinforces our commitment to helping individuals of all ages move better, feel stronger, and live healthier lives.

To our patients, families, and community members, thank you for choosing Elements and for allowing us to be part of your health journey. We are truly grateful for your continued trust and support, and we look forward to caring for you for many years to come.

Understanding Osteoarthritis: Symptoms and Causes

The primary symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain and stiffness in the affected joint. These symptoms often manifest in the following ways:

  • Pain during activity but not while at rest
  • Pain when you press on the joint
  • Joint stiffness first thing in the morning
  • Joint stiffness after sitting or lying down for long periods
  • Noises in the joint, including creaking, cracking, or crunching

While any joint can develop osteoarthritis, it most commonly occurs in weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips. However, it’s also fairly common in the hands, spine, and feet.

The causes of osteoarthritis are complex, and several factors can contribute to it. One of these factors is age: approximately 73% of people with the condition are 55 years or older. That’s not to say osteoarthritis is an inevitable part of the aging process — plenty of older people don’t have it. But your chances of developing it do increase as you age.

Other possible factors contributing to osteoarthritis include past injuries to the joint, gender (women are more likely to develop it than men), body weight, and even genetic predispositions.

How Physical Therapy Helps Manage Osteoarthritis Symptoms

The good news is that you can control osteoarthritis symptoms with the help of physical therapy. Although movement can be painful with osteoarthritis, exercise is one of the best drug-free ways to manage the condition. Our physical therapists will help you find an exercise program that suits your needs.

Here’s how we’ll do it:

  • Comprehensive Evaluation: We start by evaluating how osteoarthritis impacts you, including performing simple tests to assess your strength, mobility, and/or balance. We’ll also ask you about the ways that osteoarthritis is negatively affecting your life. For example, which activities do you find challenging? 
  • Provide Pain Relief: We’ll use manual therapy techniques to help manage your pain and get the joint moving in a gentle way. For example, we might guide the joint through its current range of motion or manipulate the surrounding soft tissue.
  • Build Strength and Restore Mobility: We’ll develop a customized, progressive exercise program to rebuild lost strength and mobility in the affected joint. Building strength, in particular, can help support and protect the joint so you can move more easily.
  • Develop An At-Home Exercise Program: You’ll supplement your sessions in our clinic with a personalized home workout program to ensure you keep moving! We’ll find something that suits your abilities and interests, such as a walking program or water aerobics.
  • Provide Strategies for Activity Modifications: Finally, we can help you identify and avoid any specific activities that might put too much strain on your joints. If needed, we can also show you how to use mobility aids (such as canes or walkers).

3 Simple Movements to Help Alleviate OA Pain

If you have osteoarthritis, it’s important to stay active to help keep your joints healthy. While our physical therapists can help you develop a suitable exercise program, you can also incorporate movement in small ways throughout the day.

These simple exercises will help mobilize your joints, and you can easily do them at home. Of course, check with your physiotherapist before starting anything new!

Ankle Circles

While sitting in a chair, stretch your feet out in front of you, keeping them neutral (neither pointed nor flexed). Gently tilt both feet in one direction, then repeat in the other.

Knee Raises

Sit on the edge of your chair with your back straight and your feet planted on the floor. Slowly lift your knee as high as possible without bending your back, guiding it up with your hands if necessary. Then, making sure to keep your core tight, gently lower your foot back to the floor. Repeat on the other side.

Overhead Shoulder Stretches

You can do this exercise sitting or standing. Hold your arms at your side, your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle, and your thumbs pointed toward your shoulders. Then, stretch your arms straight overhead and slowly lower back down.

If lifting both arms is too difficult, lift them one at a time. You can guide your arm up under the elbow if necessary.

Looking for more simple arthritis stretches? Call Elements Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation for an appointment today!

Don’t Let Osteoarthritis Pain Hold You Back!

We know that living with osteoarthritis can be difficult, but the physical therapists at Elements Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation are here to help you manage your condition and live your life to the fullest. With customized treatment plans, targeted exercise programs, and acute pain management techniques, physical therapy can help you take control of osteoarthritis pain.

Ready to get started? Call us to schedule your initial consultation today!

Request Appointment

This Valentine’s Day, Give Yourself the Gift of Good Heart Health

February is Heart Month, so as you grab gifts for your spouse and other loved ones, schedule some time at Elements Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation to give a gift to yourself: good heart health!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death, but you can lower your risk with a few simple strategies–and staying active is at the top of that list. Our team of physical therapists can help you get moving with pain management, injury prevention tips, and a customized exercise plan.

Ready to celebrate your heart this Valentine’s Day? Call us today to schedule your initial consultation!

How Physical Therapy Can Help Improve Your Heart Health

Our physical therapists are movement specialists who can help you move better and more often! Here are a few ways we can help you develop a heart-healthy lifestyle:

  • Resolve pain and injuries. If you struggle with pain or injury, exercise may feel impossible. But our therapists can help you resolve those impairments so you can start moving more regularly. As a bonus, exercise helps manage many painful conditions (such as arthritis), making it doubly important.
  • Avoid future injuries. Our therapists can also identify any biomechanical impairments that might cause injuries down the line. We’ll help you move better and more efficiently.
  • Develop a customized exercise program. Finally, we can help you understand which exercises work best for your needs. It is recommended that adults get 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, but those guidelines are fairly vague. We can help you…
    • Understand the difference between “moderate” and “intense” exercise
    • Find the right balance of cardio and strength training
    • Identify specific exercise programs that most appeal to you
    • Develop a workout schedule that you can actually follow

In addition to helping you move more, our therapists can also offer nutritional advice to ensure you’re eating heart-healthy meals, provide you with strategies to relax and manage stress, and ensure you’re getting enough sleep–all critical factors in avoiding heart disease.

Can We Be Your Valentine?

This February, ignite your journey toward a heart-healthy lifestyle with a consultation at Elements Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. Call us to schedule an appointment today!

Give the Gift of Feeling Better This Valentine’s Day ❤️

Flowers fade, but feeling good lasts. This Valentine’s Day, give someone you care about a gift card from Elements Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation and help them move, feel, and live better. Whether it’s for massage therapy, physiotherapy, or recovery support, our gift cards are a thoughtful way to show love through wellness.

Gift cards are available for purchase and can be used toward a wide range of personalized services at our clinics.

Exercise Of The Month

Median Nerve Glide

Stand tall with your arm extended in front of you at shoulder height, palm facing up. Use your opposite hand to gently grasp your thumb. Slowly extend your wrist and fingers back. Return to the starting position with control. Perform the motion gently and smoothly.

3 Sets, 10 Reps (each arm).

Patient Success

“I went in for physiotherapy after an ankle sprain and the treatment was effective and well-structured. The injury and recovery plans were clearly explained, with a strong focus on gradual strengthening and mobility without rushing the process. The team was friendly and flexible, especially Ramya, who was professional, patient, and genuinely attentive throughout the sessions. The exercises were practical and easy to follow at home, and I saw steady improvement in pain, stability, and confidence while walking. Highly recommend.” – Jay

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Help others discover us by leaving a quick review and sharing your thoughts. Your feedback helps us grow and keep improving—thank you for being part of our community!

Ajax
Oshawa

Recipe of the Month: Yogurt Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

  • 12 strawberries
  • 10 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt
  • pink food coloring

Instructions:

  1. Wash the strawberries and pat them dry. No moisture should remain on the berries before dipping them in the yogurt. Place a piece of parchment paper on a large plate or cutting board.
  2. Place the yogurt in a small bowl and holding onto the green leaves, dip each strawberry into the yogurt. Swirl it around to cover the berry, leaving a little red at the top. Place each yogurt dipped strawberry on the parchment paper. When you have dipped all the strawberries, place them in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. 
  3. Dip the strawberries a second time in the yogurt. To get a gradient of pinks, dip 4 berries in the yogurt with no food coloring, then add a single drop of pink food coloring to the yogurt and stir it till combined. Dip four more berries in the yogurt. Then add another drop of food coloring to the yogurt and stir to combine. Dip the remaining four berries in the yogurt. 
  4. Place the strawberries back in the freezer for 40 minutes to 1 hour. The frozen yogurt will begin melting when you remove the berries from the freezer, so only pull them out when you are ready to serve them. 

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