GLA:D™ Australia Program

GLA:D®, or ‘Good Life with Arthritis’: Denmark, is an education and exercise program developed by researchers in Denmark for people with hip or knee Osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms. The GLA:D Program was brought to Australia in 2016 to help Australian’s with hip or knee osteoarthritis.

Fresh Start Physiotherapy is an accredited Provider for the GLA:D Australia Program. Current national and international clinical guidelines recommend patient education, exercise and weight loss as first line treatment for osteoarthritis.

What does the GLA:D Program involve?

• An Initial Assessment to establish your baseline measures, provision of information about the program and collection of data on your current functional ability and program eligibility
• Two education sessions that teach you about OA, how the GLA:D™ Australia exercises improve joint stability, and how to retain this improved joint stability outside of the Program
• Twice weekly Group training sessions for a minimum of six weeks,
• A performance review session at the end of the program (3 months) to establish your levels of improvement and to re-establish goals and progress your exercises for ongoing participation in the program.

After the program completion, your ongoing participation of the exercises can take place: at home, in a group at Fresh Start Physiotherapy, or a combination of both. We are here to support all of our participants as much as they need during their rehabilitation.

The GLA:D™ Australia program:

This program is unique in that the education and exercises provided can be applied to everyday activities. With the aim of strengthening and correcting daily movement patterns, participants will work towards improving muscle control of the joint, that may prevent symptom progression and may reduce pain.

Each set of exercises in the group training sessions are tailored to suit the ability of each individual, as identified during the Assessment Consultation. These exercises can be modified on a sessional basis to meet the requirements of each participant.

The latest Research evidence to support the GLA:D Program is accessible on the GLA:D Australia website by clicking on the following link: https://gladaustralia.com.au/key-evidence-surrounding-glad/