Education sessions
Structured sessions that give you a clear, accurate picture of osteoarthritis, what it is, why exercise reduces pain, and the self-management habits that keep you moving on the harder days.
GLA:D® Osteoarthritis Program in Toronto
An 8-week, evidence-based education and exercise program for hip and knee osteoarthritis. Developed in Denmark, delivered at Back In Balance through GLA:D® Canada.
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What it is
Evidence-based osteoarthritis care, not just pain medication.
GLA:D® (Good Life with osteoArthritis: Denmark) is an education-and-exercise program for people with stiff and/or painful hips and knees, or with diagnosed hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA). It was developed in Denmark and is delivered internationally as the evidence-based, first-line option for conservative OA care, before medication or surgery is the only thing on the table.
At Back In Balance, our GLA:D-based program pairs two things that work better together than apart: structured education about what osteoarthritis actually is and how to manage it, and supervised neuromuscular exercise that retrains movement control and rebuilds the strength your joints have lost. The goal isn't to 'wear out' your joints, it's to load them well so they hurt less and do more.
- Built specifically for hip and knee osteoarthritis, not a generic exercise class
- Education plus supervised exercise, delivered together over several weeks
- An X-ray is not required to start, symptoms and a clinical assessment determine fit
How the program works
Two parts, working together: learn, then move.
Neuromuscular exercise
Supervised, progressive exercise that targets the movement control and functional strength OA erodes, scaled to your starting point and advanced as you tolerate it.
Tracked outcomes
Your pain, function, and confidence are checked at the start and again later in the program, so progress is measured, not guessed at, and the plan can adjust.
Who it's for
If any of these sound like you, GLA:D® likely fits.
Knee osteoarthritis
Aching, stiffness, or swelling in one or both knees that flares with stairs, squatting, or a long walk, and eases when you rest. A clear fit for the program.
About osteoarthritisHip osteoarthritis
Stiffness deep in the hip or groin, trouble with putting on socks, or a limp that shows up after sitting. Hip OA responds well to targeted neuromuscular work.
Considering, or recovering from, surgery
Many participants reduce pain enough to delay or avoid joint replacement. For those already booked, the same exercises make excellent 'prehab' before an operation.
What's included
What the program covers.
The education portion gives you an accurate mental model of OA so the exercise makes sense, and the exercise portion rebuilds what arthritis has taken away. Here's what you can expect to work through.
- What osteoarthritis actually is, and the common myths it isn't
- Why movement and loading reduce OA pain rather than worsening it
- Self-management strategies for flare-ups and everyday activity
- Supervised neuromuscular exercise tailored to hip or knee biomechanics
- Movement-control retraining, re-learning the patterns OA disrupts
- Functional strength for stairs, sit-to-stand, walking, and getting up off the floor
- Progress check-ins so your pain and function are measured over time
- A plan to carry the exercises forward on your own after the program ends
What to expect
What the weeks look like once you start.
After an initial assessment, the program runs as a structured series of sessions over several weeks. You'll attend the education sessions and the supervised exercise sessions on a regular schedule, most participants come in roughly twice a week, so the new movement patterns have time to become automatic rather than forced.
Early sessions focus on getting comfortable with the exercises and learning to load painful joints safely. As your control and strength improve, the difficulty is dialled up. Research on GLA:D consistently shows that many participants experience less pain, rely less on pain medication, and feel more confident staying active, and your own check-ins at the start and later in the program show you how far you've come.
- Starts with a one-on-one assessment to set your baseline and tailor the plan
- Regular sessions over several weeks, typically about twice a week
- Exercises are scaled to your pain level and progressed as you tolerate them
- Designed to be continued at home once the supervised block is done
Education + exercise
Core of GLA:D
Hip & knee
Osteoarthritis
Outcomes
Tracked
14+ yrs
Treating Toronto
Pairs well with
Care that works alongside your program.
Understanding osteoarthritis
Want the background first? Our osteoarthritis guide explains the condition, the symptoms, and where conservative care fits before surgery.
OsteoarthritisChiropractic care
Hands-on care for the joints, muscles, and movement patterns around an arthritic hip or knee, a natural complement to your exercise sessions.
ChiropractorFunctional movement assessment
A detailed look at how you move can pinpoint the specific deficits driving your pain and help target the exercise that matters most.
Movement assessmentReviews
What our osteoarthritis patients say
A few words from participants who took on hip and knee osteoarthritis with education and exercise.
“I was told a knee replacement was likely in my future and felt like I was just waiting for it. This gave me something to actually do, I feel stronger and a lot more confident staying active.”
“I'd been leaning on pain pills more than I wanted to. The exercises and the education changed how I think about my hip, and I'm relying on the medication far less than I was.”
“Stairs used to be the worst part of my day. After working through the program my knees still aren't perfect, but I can go up and down without bracing for it, and walking the dog is enjoyable again.”
Frequently asked questions
About gla:d® osteoarthritis program
For many people, yes. Research on GLA:D shows that a lot of participants reduce their pain and improve their function enough to delay joint replacement, and some avoid it altogether. It isn't a guarantee, and surgery is still the right choice for some, but evidence-based education and exercise is recommended as the first-line option to try before an operation. If you do go on to have surgery, the same exercises make excellent 'prehab' that often speeds recovery.
About the clinic
From the blog
Latest from the blog
Patient-language guides on the conditions and care we see most.
Book your first visit
Tell us what you need from gla:d® osteoarthritis program and the front desk will match you with the right practitioner.
- Same-day appointments usually available
- Direct billing to most major insurers
- Prefer to call? (416) 660-9932