The GLA:D Program
Less Pain, More Ability in Osteoarthritis Sufferers
What is the GLAD Program?
Osteoarthritis affects approximately 10% of the Australian population with the prevalence being 1 in 5 people over the age of 45.
The GLAD Program or GLA:D, Good Life with osteoArthritis: Denmark, is an education and exercise program developed by arthritis researchers in Denmark for people with hip or knee osteoarthritis symptoms. Fixio Physio Dee Why is proud to be a provider of such a high quality program to help people on the Northern Beaches with osteoarthritis.
Research from the GLA:D program in Australia shows:
- an average pain reduction of 36%
- reduced need for pain medication
- reduced rates of surgery
- improved trust in your joints
THE NORTHERN BEACHES MOST TRUSTED SPORTS INJURY AND PAIN CLINIC
What does GLA:D Involve?
The education and exercises provided in the GLA:D program can be applied to everyday activities. This ensures that class participants develop skills to self-manage their osteoarthritis. By strengthening the muscles of the legs and improving confidence with exercise, participants develop better capacity to stay active (or become active!), prevent symptom progression and reduce pain.
The GLA:D program is an eight week intervention and includes education and exercise, based on the latest evidence in osteoarthritis research. The program is supervised by a certified GLA:D physiotherapist, helping patients manage their osteo-arthritis symptoms.
The GLA:D Program consists of:
- An initial appointment with a GLA:D certified physiotherapist explaining the program and collecting data on baseline functional ability → Book Now
- Two education sessions where you will learn about OA, how the GLA:D intervention improves joint stability and can reduce symptoms, and ongoing management following the program
- Group neuromuscular training sessions which occur twice a week for six weeks to improve muscle control of the joint.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GLA:D has been shown to help people of all ages with all levels of osteoarthritis including severe osteoarthritis. It reduces pain, increases mobility and enhances quality of life. Often surgery such as joint replacement surgeries can be avoided.
Studies have shown that people who do need to go in for a replacement surgery will recover more quickly afterwards if they have done the GLA:D beforehand.
There are many reasons why GLA:D and similar exercise programs such as pilates can help reduce pain and improve mobility, because exercise affects a person in a variety of ways. Exercise improves bone and muscle strength as well as elevating mood. Exercise itself is a recognised treatment for some chronic health conditions and reduces the risk of many others.
The exercises done in GLA:D target joint stability, muscle strength and confidence with movement. Even if you haven’t exercised in a long time, you will be able to participate in the GLA:D.
Whenever you do new exercise, it’s normal and acceptable to have very mild pain during and after the session for up to 24 hours – and maybe a bit longer at first. Your Fixio physiotherapist will help you learn how to monitor your pain so that you can challenge yourself to do more without making your pain worse or doing any damage.
The cost to do GLA:D is similar to pilates and FutureProof classes at Fixio. If you have private health insurance, this will cover some of the costs involved. Eligible participants may be able to use Medicare funding to cover some costs of assessments. If you are paying privately, the full program of 2 education sessions and 12 exercise sessions will cost $900.
Your physiotherapist will make an appointment to review your goals and progress 3 months after you are registered. This usually gives enough time for you to complete the program and start exploring what to do next. You may decide to work towards getting into a gym-based program, or heading back to running, or simply finding ways to increase your level of physical activity throughout the week. One of the most common pathways that participants take is to join Fixio’s pilates or FutureProof classes.
The exercises and strategies you learn in GLA:D® are also easily able to be continued by you at home. Most importantly, they are a tool for you to use whenever you feel you need to – for example, if something happens to reduce your level of activity, or if your pain increases.