Your Cheat Sheet to managing Arthritis
Managing arthritis can become complex after you have consulted with multiple professionals about your pain.
As a GLA:D clinician I’m here to make it simple!
The GLA:D program was developed to help people manage their osteoarthritis in a clinical setting. It stands for Good Life with Arthritis: Denmark (that’s where it originated), since arriving in Australia GLA:D Au has helped many people see positive, non-surgical outcomes for their hip and knee arthritis.
Let’s focus on first line treatment for OA
The green part of this treatment pyramid:
GLAD Treatment Pyramid
EVERY SINGLE PERSON with arthritis should get guidance on education, exercise, and weight management. This is the gold standard of management and is KEY in early intervention.
Education
about osteoarthritis including its causes and different forms of management is key. The more you know, the better you can control your life. Our education includes the role of exercise, adjunct therapies (e.g. massage, manipulation), bracing, medication, injections, all the things you might have googled in the past! There are now fantastic online resources to help you better understand arthritis.
Exercise
is key for everyone with osteoarthritis, whether you plan on having a joint replacement or want to avoid one. Exercise has been shown to be safe and effective for osteoarthritis. Physiotherapists are the best placed professionals to guide your exercises. Our exercise programs are targeted towards key weaknesses around the affected joints. They are accessible from home or at a gym. Neuromuscular control - the often missing part of exercise programs - is also targeted and can be key in reducing limps and other compensatory movement patterns.
Weight management
is important but it’s not the whole picture, it’s a combination of the above three things that will give you access to your best life with arthritis. Liaising with GPs and dieticians is the best practice here. As physiotherapists, we can guide on the exercise part of weight management, but it is beyond our scope to provide guidance on diet.
We understand that despite implementing the above 3 things in your life, some people will need further intervention. If you look at the treatment pyramid above, some people will need the “second line treatments” and a few will need surgery. Whether you need a change in medication or your considering an injection to get you through an overseas trip - we liaise with top sports doctors and surgeons to give you the best outcome possible.
Suffering Hip or Knee Arthritis? Book with Lucy today