For patients

The content of the GLA:D®BACK course is based on the best available research knowledge for back pain treatment, informed by recommendations covered in national and international guidelines, and developed in collaboration with researchers, patients and therapists.

GLA:D Back is also a research project, designed to increase knowledge about back pain and improve treatment options for patients with back pain. Patients are therefore sent questionnaires (for data registration purposes) at the start, then again after three months, six months and one year so that we can follow how they are going before they commence the program, in the short term, and in the long term.

Education and training for patients

The purpose of GLA:D Back is to provide patients with the knowledge and tools to help them reduce their back pain and to better manage the pain that is present.

Program structure

1. Initial testing, set goals and record baseline questionnaires.
2. Two patient education sessions.
3. 16 exercise classes over eight weeks.
4. Final testing, goals and follow-up questionnaire.
5. Patient questionnaires at 3, 6 and 12 months.

Initial consultation

The program starts with an initial individual consultation where the patients are examined. During this consultation patients determine their starting point for training and their goals for the course.

Patient education

The following two sessions of patient education is undertaken in groups, where participants learn about the back, why back pain occurs and what can be done to improve their back to better meet the demands of everyday life.

The first session is about:

• causes of back pain
• symptoms
• need for x-rays and scans
• treatment.

The second session is about:

• what pain is
• handling a backache
• back pain as an expression of imbalance between your capacities and your demands
• how the effect of exercise works.

Exercise classes

Subsequent exercise training classes take place twice a week for eight weeks, with the opportunity to customise it to the patient’s needs. The exercises can be performed with varying degrees of difficulty and adapted to the individual participant. The purpose of the exercises is to achieve greater strength, suppleness, balance and variation in the movements of the spine, so that patients can use the spine more easily and have more confidence to move naturally and freely.

Each exercise session consists of:

• a brief discussion of topics from the patient education or group experiences since last time
• a warm up for the back
• exercises that work with strength and mobility, focusing on:
  • back stretching
  • abdominal muscles
  • buttock/hip muscles
  • leg muscles.

Both education and exercises take place in groups where participants can share experiences and learn from each other. Along the way, participants discuss opportunities to be generally physically active so that the effect of GLA:D Back can be maintained after the course is over.

Follow up consultation and questionnaires

At the conclusion of the program the clinician will perform an evaluation of the patient’s outcomes, both with physical tests and assessment of goals.

Following this, there are a series of follow up questionnaires, which occur at the conclusion of the program and again at 3, 6 and 12 months.

Certified GLA:D Back Clinicians