GLA:D Program for Hip & Knee Osteoarthritis
Reduce Your Pain. Prevent Joint Replacement Surgery.
Living with sore, stiff joints is hard. If you've been told your pain is from knee or hip osteoarthritis, you may also fear joint replacement surgery later in life.
Take charge and manage your arthritis now.
Join us! River East Physiotherapy now offers the GLA:D Canada program.
About the GLA:D Program
The GLA:D Program is an 8-week education and exercise program for people living with hip or knee osteoarthritis. It's designed to help you manage your osteoarthritis, by reducing your pain and stiffness.
Ultimately, it's designed to get you back to your active lifestyle, without the use of drugs, injections or surgery.
GLA:D was originally developed in Denmark and has now been launched across Canada. You can read more about the GLA:D program on the GLA:D Canada website, here:
Why the GLA:D Program Is Unique
The GLA:D program is unique because we know it gets results.
It's the only exercise program that actually measures and tracks the results of a large number of participants. It compiles results from across Canada, Denmark and elsewhere in the world where GLA:D is offered. By analysing these results, we know people taking the GLA:D Program:
- Have reduced pain
- Take fewer pain killers
- Take less time off work
- Are able to be more active
Click here to read more about key findings and results obtained by participants in GLA:D Canada.
With less pain and less disruption to your life, your need for joint replacement surgery goes way down. And if you do need surgery one day, less severe symptoms now means you can push the surgery further into the future.
Choosing River East Physiotherapy for the GLA:D Program
Why choose us? River East Physiotherapy is your go-to for all things arthritis! We offer arthritis treatment services to fit your unique condition, plus we have advanced training and a long history treating arthritis.
Our arthritis services include:
- One-to-one sessions with a physiotherapist - for assessing your unique condition and providing custom treatment
- Group classes for managing hip & knee osteoarthritis - that's the GLA:D program!
- Group classes for hip & knee joint replacements - if you're scheduled for surgery, these classes are designed to prepare you for surgery and recover as quickly as possible after.
- Education on arthritis - one-on-one with your physiotherapist, or with our many online resources for patients. See our FREE online guide to arthritis here, for example.
- We communicate with your doctor or surgeon on your progress, to help ensure you reach your goals.
Click to learn more about our arthritis relief program at River East Physiotherapy:
Frequently Asked Questions
GLA:D is for everyone with symptoms of hip and knee ostearthritis. However, it's not appropriate for people preparing for joint replacement surgery or rehabilitating after joint replacement surgery. If that's you, we recommend one-on-one treatment with a physiotherapist or our group class for post-operative hip & knee replacements.
Want talk about what treatment or class is right for you? Call us for a FREE 15-minute phone consultation with a physiotherapist, or to book an in-person assessment with one of our physiotherapists.
Yes. The results from GLA:D depend on completing the entire program, including the full 8 weeks of education and neuromuscular exercise classes.
Committing to the full 8-week program is a commitment to your health, and a commitment the life you want to live.
GLA:D stands for "Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark." GLA:D originated in Denmark, and following its success it expanded to other countries, including Canada.
Being older is a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis. And it's true, people 45 and older tend to be the more common participants in the GLA:D program.
But our physiotherapist who runs our GLA:D program is skilled at customizing group classes to each individual. If the exercises in GLA:D seem too easy, she'll design a version of the exercise that challenges YOU. If you have a particular sport you need to get back to, our physiotherapists can design a custom exercise program that fits well with your GLA:D exercises, to get you back to your sport.
Keep in mind everyone needs to complete an initial assessment, one-on-one with a physiotherapist, before registering in GLA:D classes. At that initial assessment, you will work with your physiotherapist to make sure GLA:D is a good fit for you. If it isn't, we have other options such as a series of one-on-one treatments with a physiotherapist and custom home programs designed for your unique needs.
Stay tuned! Our GLA:D program will kick-off in May 2024. Classes will be twice a week at our 1215 Henderson Highway location:
- 9:50 am on Wednesdays
- 3 pm on Fridays
Book your initial assessment with a physiotherapist now, and if you're a good fit, your physiotherapist will put you on our list for when the next set of GLA:D classes start.
Like every physiotherapy session, we advise you wear comfortable clothing you feel good exercising in.
We recommend you wear exercise shorts, not pants, especially with knee arthritis. This is so your physiotherapist can see your legs move better as you exercise. It also makes it easier to measure improvements in your knee and hip flexibility from class-to-class.
Bring flat, stable shoes, such as sneakers. You'll likely be walking during the class, and sneakers are generally the best shoes for preventing falls.
Remember: we ask all clients to leave outdoor shoes at our entrance, to help us keep our clinic clean. So bring your exercise shoes in a bag - don't wear them to the clinic.
All our group classes are significantly less expensive than one-on-one physiotherapy treatments. Ask our reception for our current rates.
For GLA:D classes, we expect all participants commit to the entire program - that's 8 weeks of classes. You'll pay for each class when you've completed it.
Like all physiotherapy services, GLA:D classes are covered by many private health insurance plans. However, everyone's plan is different! We expect all participants to check their private insurance coverage before registering for physiotherapy and physiotherapy classes.
Unlike post-op hip and knee classes, GLA:D classes are not covered by the Government of Manitoba. We encourage you to write to your MLA and urge them to expand government funding for all types of physiotherapy - not just physiotherapy for hip & knee replacement rehabilitation.
Physiotherapy is medically necessary health care that Manitobans need. We believe in universal healthcare in Canada. Access to physiotherapy shouldn't be limited by whether someone can afford to pay for it or not.
Everyone who does the GLA:D program starts with an initial assessment with a physiotherapist. That's a one-on-one visit, where your physiotherapist takes the time to understand your unique condition, your medical history, and your goals for physiotherapy. At your appointment, if you and your physiotherapist agree you're a good fit for the GLA:D program, you can register with our reception.
If you're not a good fit, your physiotherapist will recommend more appropriate care for you, such as a series of one-on-one appointments, a home exercise program, or a referral to another health professional.
To book your initial assessment with one of our physiotherapists, call our reception at 204-982-9191 or 204-982-9195.
