The Osteoarthritis (OA) Prehabilitation Program is a specialised service for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis, focusing on helping you manage your condition and improve joint health through personalised education, exercise and nutritional guidance. Our team includes an Endocrinologist who will assess your metabolic health as well as a nurse, physiotherapist, dietitian and clinical psychologist.
Aims of the program:
- To provide a supportive environment where you feel heard, respected and cared for.
- To work together to remove or delay the need for replacement surgery or to improve recovery if surgery becomes necessary.
- To improve muscle strength to enhance joint stability and mobility, and to support your health goals around food, movement and wellbeing.
- To provide you with the tools to understand your condition and make informed decisions about your health in a relaxed environment with others who share similar experiences.
Conditions seen
Barwon Health offers an osteoarthritis prehabilitation service for people who have:
- moderate-severe osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee
Conditions not seen
The osteoarthritis prehabilitation program does not accept referrals for the following:
- Assessment for the purpose of Disability Support Pension (DSP) or National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) applications.
How do I access this service?
To be seen in this program you need to be referred by an orthopaedic surgeon within Barwon Health or from the Barwon Health Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee Service (OAHKS).
You can also be referred by a Barwon Health community physiotherapist.
Appointment timeframe
All requests for specialist clinic appointments are scheduled according to the patient’s clinical need. Clinicians assess whether an appointment is urgent or routine, based on information provided in the referral.
Barwon Health aims to offer a first appointment within 30 days to all patients with urgent problems. Patients with routine (non-urgent) problems are offered appointments as they become available.
The estimated waiting time for routine (non-urgent) first appointments is listed below as a general guide. This waiting time is reviewed and updated regularly.
For Health Professionals
To access this service patients need to:
- be 18 yrs or older
- not be pregnant
- have moderate-severe OA of hip or knee
- have BMI >35
- be a patient of Barwon Health (i.e. not private patients).
The OA prehabilitation program only accepts internal referrals from the orthopaedic team or from the Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee Service (OAHKS) within Barwon Health. Barwon Health community physiotherapists can also refer.
Complete a Referral for Consultation and send via:
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: 03 4215 6376 (McKellar Community Rehabilitation Centre)
Referring clinicians wishing to discuss the triage of their patient’s referral, or who require additional information, please ring McKellar Community Rehabilitation on 03 4215 5301 or email [email protected].
Page last updated: January 14, 2026