[NAGDU] FW: [Njagdu] Physical therapists' research aims to limit pain for guide dog users

[Sandra Johnson]

Tracy:

I can relate to this topic.  My first dog was an extremely hard puller.  I 
suffered from horrible pain in my hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder and back.  In 
1984 I  ended up in traction for a month followed by two years of intensive 
rehab therapy due to 8 years of hard pulling dogs.  After that my doctors, 
physical therapists and I insisted on me being matched with dogs who had a 
very light or no pull.  Thankfully since 1985 I have been able to work my 
dogs without excruciating pain.  I know many guide dog users claim they 
cannot follow a dog unless the dog has a strong pull.  Let me say that it 
can be done and it feels great! Try it you and your aching body will love 
it!  This is very necessary and helpful research It will be interesting to 
see what comes out of it.

Sandra and Eva, the wonderful non-pulling golden
SLJohnson25 at comcast.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Tracy Carcione via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2018 8:11 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Tracy Carcione
Subject: [NAGDU] FW: [Njagdu] Physical therapists' research aims to limit 
pain for guide dog users

Interesting.  I’ve heard rumors of changes that could be made to harnesses, 
and I’m eager to see what improvements people come up with.

Tracy





From: NJAGDU [mailto:njagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ginger Kutsch 
via NJAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2018 4:55 PM
To: 'New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Ginger Kutsch
Subject: [Njagdu] Physical therapists' research aims to limit pain for guide 
dog users



Physical therapists' research aims to limit pain for guide dog users

December 3, 2018 by

Clark Leonard

Guide dog research

Source: 
https://ung.edu/news/articles/2018/12/physical-therapists-research-aims-to-help-limit-pain-for-guide-dog-users.php

The University of North Georgia (UNG) is breaking new ground in its study of 
guide dogs, the visually impaired people who use them and their harness 
devices.



Among the major findings is that guide dog use sharply reduces the risk of 
falls for visually impaired people, a result which College of Health 
Sciences

and Professions Dean

Dr. Teresa Conner-Kerr

said UNG is the first to uncover. But an increase in joint pain complaints 
is also noted in these individuals after switching from other mobility aids

to a guide dog, according to the research.



A simple observation by Conner-Kerr at a wound clinic has led to a flurry of 
research that could revolutionize the way physical therapists work with 
patients

who have guide dogs.



Working at the clinic before she came to UNG, Conner-Kerr noticed a 
difference in the posture of patients who had guide dogs and wanted to 
discover the

reason for this difference.



Conner-Kerr connected with

Dr. Sue Ann Kalish,

associate professor of physical therapy, in 2016 to launch research into the 
relationship of guide dog users, the dogs and the harnesses connecting them.



Dr. Robert Powers,

associate professor of physical therapy and nursing, and director of 
research for the College of Health Sciences & Professions, later joined in 
the work.



These faculty members' efforts, currently aided by nine Doctor of Physical 
Therapy (DPT) graduate students and two external advisers, have begun 
collecting

national recognition in the field.



This research work was selected for presentation at the Combined Sections 
meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association in February and 
nominated

for the Orthopedic Section Poster Award.  Subsequently, Kalish was invited 
to the National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) national conference 
in

July to present the group’s findings. Kalish said the group has already been 
invited to the 2019 NAGDU conference.



A well-known national company contacted UNG after the 2018 NAGDU conference 
and is discussing collaborations with the university on a prototype for a 
guide

dog harness and handle that could reduce injuries to guide dog users.



Going forward, researchers aim to investigate the nature and extent of the 
joint injuries stemming from guide dog use to develop strategies to reduce 
injuries.

Future study will also focus on the gait of guide dogs and their users.



Conner-Kerr said she hopes UNG will become the leader in training physical 
therapists who can serve guide dog users effectively.



"People are using these dogs, and they're very effective at helping them 
with mobility and keeping them safe," Conner-Kerr said. "But we haven't 
optimized

how they use them to prevent physical injury. Eventually UNG's PT program 
will be known for this."



Kalish said it's important to help guide dog users understand they still 
need and deserve more help.



One of the hallmarks of UNG's work is its holistic approach. Some 
researchers look only at the guide dog while others examine the user. Little 
attention

has been paid to fitting a harness to a specific user. Conner-Kerr said she 
and her fellow researchers want to develop a formal way of helping fit a dog

and leash to their user to prevent physical problems.



Mitchell Aarons, in his second year of the DPT program, said he has learned 
a lot about how people take care of each other through his work with guide

dog users. The graduate student from Roswell, Georgia, is grateful to see 
UNG fill the gap.



"They're missing out on the big picture," Aarons said of other research. 
"It's how this population is functioning in daily life and what they're 
struggling

with even with a guide dog."



Rachel Philips, a third-year DPT student from Jacksonville, Florida, is 
hopeful the research can find solutions.



"While guide dogs are clearly beneficial to this often overlooked 
population, they do come with some drawbacks, including increased prevalence 
of shoulder

pain," Philips said. "We hope our project can be used to identify and 
address the factors that contribute to musculoskeletal pain, so we can 
optimize mobility

for the visually impaired population."



Lauren Johnston, a third-year DPT student from Acworth, Georgia, said after 
seeing guide dog users in a hotel that was new to them, "it was inspiring 
what

they've overcome and how mobile they are." She's grateful to be a part of 
cutting-edge research to help "an amazing population of people."



"I can't wait to see where it goes in the future," Johnston said.



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Contact Information

Clark Leonard

Communications Specialist

clark.leonard at ung.edu

706-867-4528

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