Overview
There has been extensive research that shows exercise improves the symptoms of osteoarthritis. GLA:D (Good Life With Arthritis, Denmark) is a program supervised by a health care professional. It has been shown to address the muscle changes that occur with osteoarthritis of the knee and hip and helps reduce the symptoms of pain and decreased function that often occurs with this condition.
The GLA:D program consists of:
- Two education sessions with the goal of providing participants with a better understanding of osteoarthritis.
- Two one hour supervised exercise sessions per week for 6 weeks, each participant has the program modified to address their particular weaknesses.
- Two physical tests testing walking speed and repeated sit to stand , one done before the 6 week program starts and one on completion of the program
- Once the 6 weeks is completed, participants will have the knowledge and tools to continue on their own at home or in a gym setting.
GLA:D INFORMATION
Clinical trials on the GLA:D program have shown that most participants see at least a 30-40% decrease in their pain and a significant improvement in their activities of daily living, such as stair climbing and walking. The GLA:D program is ideal for those that are not candidates for knee or hip replacement but have significant loss of function and pain due to the osteoarthritis in either their knee or hip. It is also helpful for those needing hip or knee replacement. By improving strength, function and range of motion before surgery, recovery after surgery is often quicker and improved. The GLA:D program puts all the pieces together for optimum rehabilitation and improvement from your symptoms associated with osteoarthritis. It incorporates education, strengthening and function by working on correcting the alignment of your knee and hip during the activities of daily living to minimize the stress to the affected joints.
HISTORY
Since the first GLA:D course for physiotherapist in Denmark in 2013, GLA:D has provided treatment to over 15,000 people in Europe, Canada and the US.
Durham Orthopedic and Sports Injury Clinic will resume in person GLA:D classes at the beginning of March 2022, supervised by a registered physiotherapist. Call our clinic to discuss the GLA:D program with our registered physiotherapist at 905-428-7800.
