Joint Pain & Arthritis

Surgery is the last step, not the first

Most people who come in with an arthritic knee, hip or shoulder do not leave with a surgery date. They leave understanding what's happening and what to try first.

Who this is for

If any of this sounds like you

Pain that's been building for years

Stiffness in the morning, aching after activity, and a slow narrowing of what you're willing to do.

Told you need a replacement

You've been given a recommendation and want a clear-eyed second look before committing to surgery.

Managing without answers

Years of over-the-counter medication and avoiding stairs, without anyone explaining what's actually happening.

Hip and back pain together

Two problems that overlap and disguise each other — an area Dr. Day has published on directly.

How treatment progresses

Four steps, in order

Each step is genuinely tried before the next is considered. Many patients never reach step four.

1

Understand the joint

A proper examination and imaging to establish what stage the arthritis is at, and whether it's actually the source of your pain.

2

Non-surgical treatment first

Activity modification, targeted physical therapy, bracing, anti-inflammatory management and injections. For many patients this is where treatment ends.

3

Joint-preserving options

Where appropriate, arthroscopic and preservation procedures that address a specific problem without replacing the joint.

4

Replacement, when it's time

When pain limits your daily life and conservative care has been genuinely exhausted, modern replacement is a reliable operation — and the timing is a decision you make together.

What he treats

Joints and conditions

Why patients trust the recommendation

A surgeon who has publicly given something up rather than take what wasn’t his

As a Division I athlete, Dr. Day protested his own result at a conference championship when officials scored it in his favor, giving up his place in the final. The NCAA and Sports Illustrated both took note. It is the reason to believe him when he tells you that you don’t need an operation yet.

Read the story
Common questions

Joint pain, answered

Age is one factor among several, and on its own it rarely decides the question. What matters more is how much the joint limits your daily life, what the imaging shows, and whether non-surgical treatment has been genuinely tried. Some patients are better served by waiting and managing symptoms; others have waited longer than they needed to. The honest answer requires an examination, not a rule of thumb.

Have a question that isn’t here? Call the office at (201) 490-4333.

Ready to get back in the game?

Schedule your visit with Dr. Day and take the first step toward feeling like yourself again.