Osteoarthritis treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

• Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
• Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
• Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
• Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
• iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
• Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
• Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

Yes. In some cases, a doctor from Maple will be able to offer an osteoarthritis diagnosis by discussing your symptoms and evaluating your condition.

The doctor may request you to visit a clinic to receive a physical exam and check the affected joints for tenderness, redness, swelling or reduced flexibility. As well, the doctor may request imaging (X-Ray, MRI) or lab (blood, joint fluid) tests in order to confirm the diagnosis.

Yes, our physicians can prescribe medications online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or to have it delivered right to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it Works page to learn more.

Osteoarthritis (also called degenerative joint disease) is the most common form of arthritis. It affects millions of people worldwide.

Typically, this disease is associated with the breakdown of articular cartilage in joints. It can occur in almost any joint across the body, though it most frequently affects weight-bearing joints like spine, knees and hips.

No, but in some cases it can cause inflammation.

Although there are other forms of arthritis that are listed as inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis), technically osteoarthritis is considered a ‘wear-and-tear’ form of arthritis.

As osteoarthritis progresses, bone fragments can break off and irritate the smooth lining of a joint (synovium), causing inflammation. As well, osteoarthritis x-ray tests sometimes detect synovitis (inflammation of the synovium), even when the joint cartilage appears normal.

Common osteoarthritis symptoms include:

• Bone spurs (hard bone fragments that feel like lumps around a joint)
• Tenderness
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Pain or achiness
• Grating sensation when using the joint
• Loss of mobility

Osteoarthritis causes can be traced to the deterioration of the cartilage, which cushions the ends of bones in your joints.

Eventually, if the cartilage deteriorates completely the bones will rub directly against the joint walls, reducing flexibility and causing discomfort.

There are a number of osteoarthritis risk factors which can increase your chances of developing the disease, including:

• Gender (this condition is more common in women)
• Joint injuries
• Repetitive stress on joints
• Bone deformities
• Age (risk increases with age)
• Obesity
• Genetics
• Some metabolic disease causing increased levels of iron

While there is no osteoarthritis cure at this time, there are a number of osteoarthritis treatment guidelines that can help minimize symptoms when followed.

Osteoarthritis treatment options include:

• Medicinal options (Acetaminophen, Duloxetine, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
• Therapy treatments (Physical, occupational)
• Surgical (Joint replacement, bone realignment, cortisone or lubrication injections, joint fusion, arthroscopy)

There are a number of things that can be done to assist with osteoarthritis prevention, particularly in those already at high risk for developing the disease.

Some commonly suggested techniques for reducing osteoarthritis and joint inflammation include:

• Exercise regularly
• Lose weight
• Movement therapies
• Braces (to assist with weight distribution)
• Insoles for shoes
• Applying heat and cold alternatively when sore
• Applying capsaicin on sore joints
• Using assistive devices to maintain healthy movement patterns