Anna Fraenkel, Physiotherapist

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Anna Fraenkel, Physiotherapist

I’m Anna Fraenkel, a physiotherapist based in Montreal with over 25 years of experience helping adults move with confidence after pain or injury.

My focus is knee osteoarthritis — supporting people who want to stay active, manage discomfort, and build long-term strength using evidence-based exercise and education. As a Certified GLA:D Provider, I combine proven clinical methods with practical coaching to help patients find their safe starting point and rediscover trust in their movement. My approach is grounded in science but delivered with

empathy — because every knee, and every person, deserves care that meets them where they are. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, trying to return to activity, or simply want to move without fear, I’m here to help you take that first step forward.

27/04/2026

It's not a motivation problem. It's a structure problem.

Most people with knee pain have tried exercises at some point , cobbled together from different sources. They do them for a bit, then life gets busy or the knee gets sore. And it's rarely clear how many, how often, or whether any of it is actually helping.

Staying consistent with exercise is hard enough without knee pain. With it, you need a plan, not more willpower.

GLA:D™ Canada gives you one: two sessions a week, progressing over 8 weeks, designed so you can actually keep going once the program ends.

May cohort starting soon. Quebec residents. DM me "GLA:D" or tap the link in bio.

20/04/2026

Knee OA care without the commute.

The GLA:D™ Canada program is now being offered online. You can take part from home — no travel, no fitting clinic visits into an already-full schedule.

It's structured, physiotherapist-led, and runs in a small group (up to 6), tailored to where each person is.

Over 8 weeks, we focus on:
• Strength, stability, and balance
• Better quality of movement
• Confidence using your knee in everyday life

A clear plan. Professional progression. You're not left to figure it out alone.

The May group starts soon for Quebec residents. Link in bio for details.

06/03/2026

After a week of talking about injections, let’s zoom out.

What actually delays knee replacement?

Not magic injections.
Not one perfect supplement.
Not avoiding movement.

The strongest evidence consistently points to this:

Structured exercise that improves strength and load tolerance.

When the muscles around the knee get stronger, the joint experiences less stress with walking, stairs, and daily activity.

Pain often decreases.
Function improves.
Confidence returns.

Weight management, when relevant, can also reduce joint load and improve symptoms.

Injections can play a role.

Cortisone can calm a flare and create space to rebuild.
PRP may provide longer symptom relief in selected patients.
Gel may help some people.

But none of them replace capacity building.

The people who delay surgery the longest are usually the ones who:

Keep moving.
Gradually build strength.
Adjust load instead of avoiding it.
Stay consistent even when progress feels slow.

Surgery becomes appropriate when quality of life is significantly limited despite well-structured conservative care.

Until then, there is often more influence available than people realize.

Your knee is not fragile.

It responds to load.

And capacity changes outcomes.

05/03/2026

If you spend five minutes on Facebook, you will eventually see it.

“Regrow cartilage.”
“Avoid surgery.”
“Reverse arthritis naturally.”

It is usually labeled as stem cells.

Let’s slow this down.

Right now, there is no strong high-quality evidence that commercially available stem cell injections regrow cartilage in knee osteoarthritis.

Many clinics advertise “stem cells,” but the products used often contain very few true stem cells.

Preparation methods vary widely.
Regulation varies by country.
Most treatments are self-pay.

Some people report symptom improvement. That is real.

But consistent structural repair or long-term reversal of arthritis has not been demonstrated in high-quality clinical trials.

Major medical guidelines do not recommend routine stem cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis outside of research settings.

That does not mean innovation is bad.
It means the science is not there yet.

Before spending thousands of dollars, ask:

Is this approved for knee arthritis?
What published trials support this exact product?
What are realistic outcomes?
What happens if it does not work?

Relief can be helpful.

Lasting knee health still depends on strength, load tolerance, and how the joint is used.

Hope is important.

So is clarity.

04/03/2026

PRP is often described as the “next level” injection.

It uses your own blood. Platelets are concentrated and injected into the knee with the goal of stimulating a healing response.

So how does it compare?

Cortisone usually works quickly, especially during a flare, but often wears off within weeks.

Gel injections aim to improve lubrication and tend to show modest benefit in selected patients.

PRP, in studies of mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis, often shows longer-lasting symptom improvement than cortisone, sometimes lasting 6 to 12 months.

But results vary.

There is no single standard PRP formula. Different clinics prepare it differently. That makes outcomes less predictable.

Major medical guidelines remain cautious because study methods vary and long-term structural change is unclear.

PRP does not regrow cartilage in advanced arthritis.
It does not replace surgery when the joint is severely damaged.

It is usually self-pay.

It is generally safe, but natural does not mean guaranteed.

Here is the part that matters most.

Relief from any injection can be useful.

It can calm pain enough to let you move better, strengthen, and rebuild confidence.

Without that second step, even the best injection rarely creates lasting change.

PRP is a tool.

The right choice depends on your knee right now and what you plan to do afterward.

03/03/2026

You have probably heard about the “gel” injection for knee arthritis.

It sounds logical. If the joint feels dry or irritated, add lubrication.

That is the idea behind hyaluronic acid.

So does it work?

For some people, yes.

For many people, the improvement is small. In research studies, the average benefit is modest. Some feel better for a few months. Some feel no meaningful difference at all.

It tends to work better in mild to moderate arthritis than in advanced bone on bone knees.

Here is the important part.

It does not repair cartilage.
It does not stop arthritis progression.
It may improve symptoms for a period of time.

Major medical guidelines do not fully agree on its value because the average benefit across large groups is small.

It is generally safe.

Before deciding, ask yourself:

What is my knee actually struggling with right now?
Am I hoping for temporary relief, or long term change?
What is my plan if it helps only a little?

Structured exercise programs consistently improve pain and function for many people with knee arthritis. They work differently. They build strength and tolerance instead of adding lubrication.

Hyaluronic acid is a tool.
The right choice depends on your knee right now.

02/03/2026

Thinking about a cortisone injection for knee osteoarthritis?

Here is what you should know before deciding.

Cortisone reduces inflammation inside the joint. It can calm a swollen, flared knee.

Most people who benefit feel relief in the first few weeks. For many, the improvement is modest and short term.

It works best when the knee is swollen, warm, or painful at rest.

It works less well when the main issue is pain with walking, stairs, weakness, or gradually doing less activity. Those situations often improve when strength and activity are rebuilt step by step.

One injection is generally considered safe. Repeated steroid injections over time have been linked in some studies to faster cartilage loss, which is why they are usually spaced and limited.

Cortisone can be useful. The key is matching the treatment to the problem you are having right now and having a plan for what comes next.

01/02/2026

If arthroscopic knee surgery has been recommended, it’s okay to slow the process down.

Most knee decisions are not urgent.

Before deciding, it’s reasonable to ask:
– Do I have true locking or blocking?
– Was there a clear injury?
– Have I tried a proper course of rehabilitation over time?
– Am I prepared for the recovery, rehab, and costs involved?
– What outcome am I expecting?

For many people with meniscus-related knee pain, research shows that long-term results are similar with rehabilitation and surgery.

This doesn’t mean surgery is never the right choice.
It means you deserve time, information, and a decision that feels right for you.

— Anna
The Knee OA Coach

31/01/2026

Surgery can be helpful in the right situation, but it isn’t a quick fix.

Recovery still involves time, rehabilitation, and gradual progress. Many people are surprised by how long healing takes and how much work is involved after surgery.

This is why it’s important to think about surgery as a change in the plan, not a replacement for rehabilitation.

Understanding this ahead of time helps people make calmer, more informed decisions about their knee.

Tomorrow I’ll bring this together and talk about how to decide whether surgery is right for you, whether it makes sense to wait, and when getting a second opinion is reasonable.

Anna
The Knee OA Coach

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