What to have ready for the call.
Before contacting a clinic, note when the pain started, whether there was an injury or change in activity, what makes it better or worse, any swelling or other changes you have noticed, and how it affects walking, work, sleep, or daily activities. Have a current medication list, allergies, and relevant past knee injuries or procedures available. Share the details that matter to you and any questions you want addressed.
A callback request is not a diagnosis, prescription, referral, laboratory requisition, document, payment, or confirmed appointment. The clinic reviews the concern and may recommend another setting.
When an examination, testing, or another setting may be needed.
This guide cannot decide whether it is safe to wait or which care setting is right for an individual concern. Some concerns need an in-person examination, testing, or another setting. If you are unsure where to go, contact an appropriate in-person healthcare professional or care setting for individual guidance. Use prompt in-person care if you are concerned about worsening symptoms.
Know when not to wait.
Seek urgent in-person assessment for severe or increasing pain, inability to bear weight or move the knee, a knee that looks deformed, a cold or discoloured foot, signs of infection, or possible leg blood-clot symptoms. Call 911 immediately for sudden chest pain, breathing trouble, or coughing blood.
Virtual care is not appropriate for every concern. If your symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or may be an emergency, use emergency services or immediate in-person care instead of waiting for a callback.
Common questions about knee pain.
What should I prepare before I contact a clinic about knee pain?
Write down when it began, any injury or activity change, what you notice, how it affects daily activities, and your current medicines, allergies, and relevant knee history. Bring the questions you want to discuss.
Where does the information on this page come from?
The main public source is MyHealth Alberta’s Knee Pain or Injury: Care Instructions. An Alberta Health Services provincial clinical pathway is listed as an additional professional reference.
Can this page tell me whether a virtual visit is right for me?
No. It does not assess virtual suitability. The clinic decides whether a virtual conversation or another setting may fit after reviewing the information you provide.
Can I use this page to request tests, medicines, referrals, or a specific outcome?
No. You can explain your concerns and questions to the clinic, but this guide cannot request or arrange tests, medicines, referrals, appointments, or outcomes.
Non-emergency request
Request a doctor call today.
For people physically in Alberta with a valid Alberta Health Care card. After a completed form submitted between 8 AM and 10 PM Mountain Time, a doctor usually calls back within 60 minutes. This is not a guaranteed callback, appointment, or live wait time. Requests submitted outside those hours do not have a 60-minute or same-day callback promise. If your concern cannot wait, use appropriate in-person care; call 911 for a possible emergency.