GLA:D

Hip or knee osteoarthritis – have you tried the GLA:D™ Canada program?

Do you want to stay active but have concerns about pain and stiffness in your knees and hips? Exercise is a vital part of keeping our minds and bodies healthy and while you may worry that exercising with osteoarthritis could harm your joints and cause more pain, research shows that people can and should exercise when they have osteoarthritis. The GLA:D™ Canada program has been shown to have the potential to improve the quality of life of people living with early to late stages of osteoarthritis of the knee or hip.

What is the GLA:D™ Canada Program?

• GLA:D™ is an 8 week education and targeted neuromuscular exercise program originally
  developed in Denmark for people with mild to severe symptoms of knee or hip OA
• This nationwide initiative is an evidence based program that follows the current
  recommendations for the treatment of hip and knee OA
• The program is done in group sessions so that it is affordable and provides a group support
  system

What are the benefits of the program?
This standardized education and exercise program has been shown to produce positive, long term
outcomes 1 year post program in over 10,000 participants in Denmark including:

• reduced pain
• decreased use of pain medication
• reduction in time off work
• ability to be more active

What does the program include?

• Assessment by a registered physiotherapist to determine current functional ability and suitability for the program while establishing goals
• Two (2) 90-minute group education sessions and twelve (12) one hour supervised group exercise sessions (two exercise sessions per week for six weeks) with a registered physiotherapist
• Data regarding function, quality of life and level of discomfort will be collected from participants on three separate occasions (pre-program, 3 months, 12 months after completion of program)

Cost of the program:

• Initial physiotherapy assessment – $70.00 (non-refundable and payable at time of assessment)
  -this assessment is completed by Heather Smyth, a Registered Physiotherapist with GLA:D™
  Canada Certification
• Two group education sessions ($25 each) and twelve group exercise sessions ($25 each) – $350.00 -these sessions are with Heather Smyth, a Registered Physiotherapist with GLA:D™ Canada Certification
• Cost of this program may be covered by your extended health insurance benefits

Who can participate?

• This program is appropriate for anyone experiencing mild to severe symptoms of knee or hip osteoarthritis
• Those waiting to undergo knee or hip joint replacement surgery
• A physician referral is not required
• An x-ray is not required
• Exclusion criteria
  -other reasons for the problem (eg. tumor, inflammatory disease, soft tissue problems)
  -other symptoms that are more pronounced (eg. chronic pain syndrome, fibromyalgia)
  -unable to understand and communicate in English

How to get started?

• Call the clinic at 519-733-4008 to schedule an initial assessment
• The assessment will take approximately 1 hour at a cost of $70.00
• Following the assessment, if eligible to participate, you will be enrolled in the program and further details given at that time
• Erie Shores Rehabilitation will be running one session in the winter; one session in the early spring; and one session in the fall; (3 sessions per year depending on demand)
• A minimum of 3 participants is required to run a session

In 2018, 13 individuals graduated from the GLA:D™ Canada program at Erie Shores Rehabilitation. Our participants have ranged in age from 49 to 85. What are you waiting for, call today to reserve your spot.

For further information on the GLA:D™ Canada program, please visit their website at www.gladcanada.ca