If you have osteoarthritis-related hip and/or knee pain or symptoms, regardless of severity, the GLA:D® Australia program is suitable for you. No doctor referral is required.
A degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is very common, affecting 22% of Australians over the age of 45. For this reason, it’s often described as a ‘wear and tear disease’. However, this should be avoided as it often leads to a detrimental decline in activity.
International clinical guidelines recommend exercise, education and weight loss as the first-line treatment for osteoarthritis patients. Yet in Australia, medications and surgical interventions such as joint replacement surgery have been the go-to.
Thankfully, the success of GLA:D® underlines the value of a more conservative, movement-based approach that delays (or prevents) the need for surgery. It’s known that cartilage needs moderate load through movement to regenerate itself. And we now have evidence that treatments combining patient education and exercise are equally effective in managing arthritis and improving quality of life.
The education and exercises provided by GLA:D® can be applied to everyday activities, ensuring participants develop skills to self-manage their osteoarthritis. By building strength and joint confidence, participants develop a greater capacity to become or stay active, prevent symptom progression, reduce pain and enjoy an improved quality of life.
