If you have hip or knee osteoarthritis, the most useful thing to know early is this: movement is part of the treatment, not something to be afraid of. Osteoarthritis is common, it is manageable, and the right kind of exercise is one of the best-supported ways to manage it.
I am Dr. Alex Tremblett, a chiropractor at Beacon Physiotherapy in Tecumseh, and I run the GLA:D program for patients across Windsor-Essex. Here is what that actually means and whether it might help you.
What osteoarthritis feels like, and why exercise is first-line
Hip and knee osteoarthritis are among the most common causes of joint pain, stiffness and reduced mobility in adults. It can make ordinary things harder: walking, stairs, getting up from a chair.
It is easy to assume that if a joint hurts, you should rest it and protect it. For osteoarthritis, the evidence points the other way. International treatment guidelines put education and structured exercise at the front of the line, ahead of medication and surgery, as the core treatment for hip and knee osteoarthritis [1]. Strengthening the muscles around a joint and improving how it moves tends to reduce pain and improve function over time.
What GLA:D is
GLA:D stands for Good Life with osteoArthritis: Denmark. It is an education and exercise program developed in Denmark and now delivered in several countries, built specifically for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis.
The standard program is two to three education sessions and twelve supervised exercise sessions, usually over about eight weeks, led by a certified practitioner [2]. The education sessions explain what osteoarthritis is and how to manage it day to day. The exercise sessions are structured and progressive, focused on control, strength and confidence in movement rather than pushing through pain.
What results are realistic
I want to be straight about this rather than overpromise. GLA:D has been studied across more than 28,000 patients in Denmark, Canada and Australia. On average, people reported pain improvements of roughly 26 to 33 percent from the start of the program to the end, and just under half saw a clinically meaningful reduction in pain [2].
Averages are not promises, and your result depends on your joint, your history and how the program fits your life. But it gives you an honest picture: for a lot of people, this genuinely helps, and it does it without medication or surgery.
Who it is for
GLA:D is designed for people with hip or knee osteoarthritis symptoms. You do not need it to be severe, and you do not need to be an exerciser already. It is built to meet people where they are.
If you are dealing with hip or knee pain and are not sure what is causing it, the first step is an assessment, not a program. We figure out what is going on before recommending anything.
Booking
If you want to talk about whether GLA:D fits you, you can book an assessment at Beacon Physiotherapy in Tecumseh. We see patients from across Windsor-Essex. Call (226) 826-0493 or book online.
Written by Dr. Alex Tremblett, chiropractor, Beacon Physiotherapy.
References:
- [1] Bannuru RR, et al. OARSI guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2019;27(11):1578-1589.
- [2] Roos EM, Grønne DT, Skou ST, et al. Immediate outcomes following the GLA:D program in Denmark, Canada and Australia. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2021;29(4):502-506.
