Brief summary, from the abstract
Across Denmark, Canada and Australia, patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis who completed the GLA:D education and exercise program reported less pain and better physical function immediately afterward, with about half or more meeting responder thresholds. The benefits were broadly consistent across the three countries and between hip and knee patients.
- Pain intensity fell by 26-33% and quality-of-life scores improved by 12-26%, with moderate to large within-group effect sizes.
- Objective function improved: walking speed rose 8-12% and chair-stand ability rose 18-30%.
- About 43-47% of patients had a clinically relevant pain reduction, and roughly half or more were classed as responders for pain and function.
- This is a large observational analysis of 28,370 patients without a control group, so it shows real-world program outcomes rather than effect versus no treatment.
Clinically assessing this area? See the knee special tests.