GLA:D®, from ‘Good Life with OsteoArthritis in Denmark’, is an education and exercise program developed by researchers in Denmark for people with hip or knee osteoarthritis symptoms. It was then brought to Australia in 2016 to help Australians with hip or knee osteoarthritis.
GLA:D® uses education and exercise to help with daily activities. You will work on strengthening your body, as well as learning to move correctly and manage symptoms to improve pain.
The 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 functional ability.
- Completion of questionnaires 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.