Thanks to our dedicated physiotherapists, Canberrans with hip or knee osteoarthritis now have more treatment options.

GLA:D (Good Life with osteoArthritis: Denmark) is an education and exercise program developed by researchers in Denmark. The program is now available through Canberra Health Services’ (CHS) community-based physiotherapists.

One of the physiotherapists running the program is Paul Truong.

'The name might be a little confusing, but the aim of the program is to help anyone who has osteoarthritis to live a good life,' explains Paul.

GLA:D has been running at Canberra Health Services for the last year, both in-person and online. The program meets twice weekly, with patients attending for six weeks.

'The program is run all over the world, with exercise data continuously collected. From that, the program is adapted and changed to best suit the patients.'

Beyond mobility and pain reduction improvements, GLA:D is an opportunity for people to further educate themselves about how to live a good life with osteoarthritis.

'We always encourage open conversations, to allow everyone to share their experiences and learn from each other,' says Paul.

After completing the program, patients have routine follow up appointments.

'People come back after completing the program and tell us they can walk further; they don’t get as tired, and they have more energy. Seeing patient improvement is one of the most rewarding parts of the job,' says Paul.

You can refer yourself to our Community Care Physiotherapy service to access GLA:D. Your doctor can also refer you.

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