--- title: "GLA:D® Program for Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis" id: "7572" type: "treatment" slug: "glad-program" published_at: "2026-07-16T06:59:21+00:00" modified_at: "2026-10-01T21:43:52+00:00" url: "https://www.allforone.com.au/treatment/glad-program/" markdown_url: "https://www.allforone.com.au/treatment/glad-program.md" --- # GLA:D® Program for Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis Exercise and education for knee and hip osteoarthritis that help many people avoid or put off surgery. At Yarraville and Hampton East, with no referral or X-ray needed. GLA:D® · Knee and hip osteoarthritis · Yarraville and Hampton EastBeing told you have osteoarthritis in your knee or hip can be frightening. It is very common, and it does not mean surgery is the next step. Exercise is the first treatment every major guideline recommends, and for many people it means they can avoid or put off surgery. GLA:D is a structured, physio-supervised way to do that exercise, already completed by more than 26,000 Australians. [Book at Yarraville](https://momence.com/appointments/appointment-reservation/37352?boardId=14183&venueId=21391&serviceId=364403) [Book at Hampton East](https://momence.com/appointments/appointment-reservation/37352?boardId=14785&venueId=22183&serviceId=364403) No referral or X-ray needed · Private health rebates on the spot with HICAPS · Classes throughout the week at both studios Sound familiar?## Stiff in the morning. Careful on the stairs. Told to wait. Three in four people who start GLA:D say their joint is stiffest first thing in the morning. Stairs become a negotiation, kneeling in the garden comes off the list, and walks get measured by what they will cost you tomorrow. A lot of people arrive having been told it is wear and tear, or bone on bone, and to manage until it is bad enough for a replacement. Those words can sound final. They are not. Nobody explained what managing actually looks like, and GLA:D is what it looks like. 01## What the GLA:D program is. GLA:D stands for Good Life with osteoArthritis: Denmark. Researchers in Denmark designed it in 2013 to give people with knee and hip osteoarthritis the treatment the guidelines recommend: first understand what is happening in your joint, then exercise that is supervised and built around it. It came to Australia in 2017 and is run here by GLA:D Australia at La Trobe University. Every clinic that runs GLA:D follows the same program and sends its results to one national record, which is where the numbers further down this page come from. 02## How the program works. 1### A one-on-one assessment With one of our physios, at whichever studio suits you. We talk about your joint and what you want to get back to, then do a few simple tests, such as how many times you can stand up from a chair in 30 seconds and how quickly you walk. There is no pass or fail. The tests are your starting point, so you can see your progress later. It also confirms GLA:D is the right fit for you. 2### Education What osteoarthritis is, why exercise helps a sore joint, how to manage a flare-up, and how to use what you learn in everyday life. 3### Supervised classes Small-group classes with a physio in the room. Ten exercises plus a warm-up and cool-down, working on leg and core strength, control of the knee and hip, and everyday movements such as getting up from a chair. Every exercise has easier and harder levels, and you only move up when you are ready. 4### A review at three months Three months after you start, we repeat the same simple tests and questions from your first day, so you can see exactly what has changed and how you have progressed. Classes run throughout the week at both Yarraville and Hampton East. You choose your class times after your assessment, so the program fits around your life rather than the other way round. Exercise is the first-line treatment. Most people improve without surgery. 03## Can GLA:D help me avoid surgery? **For many people, yes.** The guidelines for knee and hip osteoarthritis say education and exercise should come first, and that surgery should only be considered when they have not worked well enough. GLA:D was built to make that happen. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care puts it plainly: most people with knee osteoarthritis can reduce their pain and improve their mobility without major surgery. In GLA:D Australia’s national results, about 1 in 2 people who wanted a joint replacement when they started no longer wanted one, and had not had one, a year later. If you do go on to need surgery, the work is not wasted. GLA:D Australia notes that people who complete the program before a joint replacement tend to recover faster afterwards. For more on this, read [Do I need a knee replacement? What to try first](https://www.allforone.com.au/do-i-need-a-knee-replacement/) . 04## What happened for the people who went before you. From GLA:D Australia’s national record of 26,607 people who took part between 2018 and 2025. 31%less knee pain on average a year after starting, and 27% less hip pain. 11 → 14times standing up from a chair in 30 seconds, on average, before and after the program. 52%of people with knee osteoarthritis were using less pain medication a year later, and 44% with hip osteoarthritis. 1 in 2of those who wanted a joint replacement at the start no longer wanted one, and had not had one, a year later. Source: [GLA:D Australia Annual Report 2025](https://gladaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GLAD-Annual-Report-2025.pdf) . These are averages, and the report notes they are results without a comparison group, so they show what typically happened rather than a promise of what will happen for you. 05## Who GLA:D is for. **Anyone with knee or hip osteoarthritis symptoms, at any severity.** You do not need an X-ray or a scan, because the diagnosis is made from your symptoms and your assessment, and you do not need a GP referral to book. Not sure whether your hip pain is arthritis? Our guide to [hip arthritis symptoms](https://www.allforone.com.au/hip-arthritis-symptoms/) explains the common signs. The average person starting GLA:D in Australia is 66 and most are women, but people from 18 to 95 have taken part. More than eight in ten have another health condition as well, most often high blood pressure or back pain, so you do not need to be fit to start. **When it is not the right fit.** If your joint pain turns out to have a different cause, such as inflammatory arthritis, or if widespread pain such as fibromyalgia is the bigger problem, GLA:D is not designed for that. Your physio checks for this at your assessment and will point you towards the right care. 06## Will exercise make my knee worse? It is the most common worry, and an understandable one when your joint already hurts. Joints need movement to stay healthy, and the GLA:D exercises are chosen and levelled for knees and hips with osteoarthritis. A little pain during or after a session, settling within 24 hours, is normal when you start exercising. You will be shown how to read it, so you know when to stay at a level and when to move up. Nobody is pushed past what their joint is ready for. Walking counts too. Our guide on [walking with knee and hip arthritis](https://www.allforone.com.au/is-walking-good-for-arthritis/) covers how much, which shoes, and what soreness is normal. 07## Your first appointment. Wear comfortable clothes and the shoes you usually walk in. Bring a list of any medications you take. If you have had X-rays or scans, bring them along, but you do not need them. The assessment is a conversation first. Tell your physio what worries you and what you want to be able to do again. The tests are everyday movements, like standing up from a chair and walking, and you finish knowing whether GLA:D suits you and how to choose your class times. 08## Keep going for as long as it helps. There is no set number of classes you have to stop at. Some people keep coming to classes long term. Others carry their exercises on at home, or move into our [Midlife Strength classes](https://www.allforone.com.au/classes/midlife-strength-training/) or physio-run [Clinical Pilates](https://www.allforone.com.au/classes/clinical-pilates/) , in the same studio, with people who already know your joint. 09## GLA:D at two Melbourne studios. [Yarraville ↗13 Campbell Street, Yarraville. Close to Seddon, Footscray, Kingsville, Spotswood and Williamstown. 03 8319 9945](https://momence.com/appointments/appointment-reservation/37352?boardId=14183&venueId=21391&serviceId=364403) [Hampton East ↗1/854-860 Nepean Hwy, Hampton East, with parking on site. Close to Hampton, Brighton East, Bentleigh, Highett, Moorabbin and Cheltenham. 03 9086 3740](https://momence.com/appointments/appointment-reservation/37352?boardId=14785&venueId=22183&serviceId=364403) ## Start with the assessment. Book online at the studio closest to you, or call and we will help you find a time. Yarraville [03 8319 9945](tel:+61383199945) · Hampton East [03 9086 3740](tel:+61390863740) [Book at Yarraville](https://momence.com/appointments/appointment-reservation/37352?boardId=14183&venueId=21391&serviceId=364403) [Book at Hampton East](https://momence.com/appointments/appointment-reservation/37352?boardId=14785&venueId=22183&serviceId=364403) FAQ## GLA:D program: your questions What is the GLAD program?GLA:D, often written GLAD, stands for Good Life with osteoArthritis: Denmark. It is an education and exercise program for knee and hip osteoarthritis: an initial assessment, education about your joint, and supervised exercise classes, with a review at three months. Can the GLA:D program help me avoid knee or hip surgery?For many people, yes. The guidelines say education and exercise should come first, with surgery only considered when they have not worked well enough. In GLA:D Australia’s national results, about 1 in 2 people who wanted a joint replacement when they started no longer wanted one, and had not had one, a year later. How long is the GLA:D program?It starts with your assessment and education, then supervised classes. There is no fixed end point: you can keep coming to classes for as long as they help, and there is a review three months after you start. Do I need an X-ray or a GP referral?No. GLA:D Australia does not require an X-ray or scan, because osteoarthritis is diagnosed from your symptoms and assessment, and you can book with us without a referral. Do I need to be fit to do GLA:D?No. Every exercise has easier and harder levels, and you start where your joint is today. More than eight in ten people who start GLA:D have another health condition as well. Is the GLAD program covered by Medicare?The group classes are not covered by Medicare. If your GP has set up a Chronic Condition Management Plan, still often called a CDM or care plan, Medicare may rebate individual physio appointments such as your assessment. Our [guide to using a care plan for physio](https://www.allforone.com.au/how-to-use-a-cdm-plan-for-physio-medicare-guide/) explains how it works. Can I claim GLA:D on private health insurance?Your assessment is a physiotherapy appointment, and rebates are claimed on the spot with HICAPS if your extras cover includes physio. GLA:D classes may also be claimable as group physiotherapy, depending on your fund and level of cover, so it is worth asking your fund about item 560 before you start. Is the GLAD program free?No. GLA:D is run by clinics, and the cost varies from clinic to clinic. GLA:D Australia puts the typical cost of the full program in a private clinic at between $500 and $1,000, before any health fund rebate. Will the exercises hurt?A little pain during or after a session, settling within 24 hours, is normal when you start exercising. You will learn how to keep an eye on it, and every exercise has easier and harder levels, so you move at the pace your joint is ready for. Can I do GLA:D if I am waiting for a knee or hip replacement?Yes. GLA:D Australia notes that people who complete the program before joint replacement surgery tend to recover faster afterwards. Where can I do the GLA:D program in Melbourne?At All for One Yarraville, 13 Campbell Street, in Melbourne’s inner west, and All for One Hampton East, 1/854-860 Nepean Hwy, in the bayside south-east, with classes throughout the week at both studios. Can I keep going with classes?Yes. You can keep coming to classes, carry your exercises on at home, or move into a supervised class such as Midlife Strength or Clinical Pilates, and you come back for your three-month review so you can see how far you have come. 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