Leaders in Physiotherapy and Physio-led Exercise
THE GLA:D PROGRAM
The GLA:D Program
GLA:D®, Good Life with osteoArthritis: Denmark, is an education and exercise program developed by researchers in Denmark for people with hip or knee osteoarthritis symptoms. GLA:D® Australia is a not-for-profit initiative led by La Trobe University.
The GLA:D® program represents a research backed initiative that follows current first line recommendations for the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis. This includes patient education sessions prior to commencing the program that contain information about osteoarthritis and treatment options and an exercise program of supervised neuromuscular exercise that is conducted in a small group or individually, 2 times a week for 6 weeks.
Supervised exercise is often more effective, and it is highly recommended to be completed in a group format. Patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis are treated by a certified GLAD physiotherapist.
Please click here to visit the GLA:D Australia website for more information.
Research from the GLA:D® program in Australia shows
An average pain reduction of 23% (hip) and 29% (knee).- Improved quality of life by 21% (hip) and 35% (knee).
- Reduced pain killers’ consumption by 46% (hip) and 49% (knee) at 12 months following the program.
- Reduced expected need for surgery.
- Substantial improvement in perceived joint stability.
The GLA:D Program Consists Of
- An initial appointment to explain the program and measure your current functional ability.
- Two education sessions which teach you about OA, its risk factors, treatment options, and self-management strategies.
- Group exercise sessions twice a week for six weeks to improve your control of the joint, your confidence in the joint and your strength.
- A review at 3-months with your clinician to discuss progress and goals, and re-measure your functional ability.
- Completion of a questionnaire on registration with the program, and then again at 3 and 12 months after registration to measure changes in areas such as pain, function, quality of life, and medication use.
