New Study by ACHE School of Physical Therapy Featured in Canadian Publication

FORT SMITH, AR — The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) School of Physical Therapy (PT) is proud to announce that it has been featured in the latest issue of The Spin Magazine. This respected Canadian publication, which serves as the quarterly magazine of Spinal Cord Injury BC, is well-known for its focus on the latest developments and topics related to living with spinal cord injuries and disabilities.

The featured article delves into a new study conducted by ACHE PT, which highlights the unique benefits of exercising together for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and their care partners. The research underscores how joint exercise routines can enhance physical and emotional well-being, fostering stronger connections and improved outcomes for both the individuals with SCI and their care partners.

“Care partners often experience worse health than people who do not provide care, including higher risk of cardiovascular disease and higher rates of depression and anxiety,” says Dr. Reed Handlery, an Assistant Professor in the ACHE School of Physical Therapy. Dr. Handlery is also the lead author of a new study examining the feasibility of the program and its impact on participant outcomes–a first of its kind to include care partners alongside participants with SCI.

According to Dr. Handlery, “There hasn’t been, to my knowledge, a lot of research specifically on the physical health of care partners of people with SCI, but we do know that it’s a dyadic relationship where the health of one partner impacts the health of the other.”

Dr. Handlery recruited 14 people with SCI and six care partners to take part in a 25-week High Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) program. Participants took part in two sessions per week, each about 75 minutes in length, at a CrossFit facility just across the street from the ACHE Colleges of Health Sciences building in Fort Smith.

“HIFT is kind of all exercises in a blender, so it’d just be everything you could possible think of, adapted to meet the needs of each participant,” Dr. Handlery said.

To read the full article featured on page 26 of The Spin Magazine, CLICK HERE.

Dr. Handlery coaching a participant