Acute and Chronic Injury in Individuals with Visual Impairments Using Dog Guides

Introduction: Previous studies of individuals with visual impairment (iVI) using dog guides reported greater perceived freedom of mobility compared to alternative mobility aids. This study evaluates the effect of dog guides on falls in iVI, and how dog guide use affects the user’s acute and chronic musculoskeletal health.

Methods: We conducted an online survey with 80 completed responses from iVI currently using a dog guide. Survey questions were assessed by iVI reviewers to be appropriate for survey users. Respondents ranged from 18 to over 70 years of age, with 58% under age 40. Seventy-four percent of respondents were female, 19.5% totally blind, 55.8% legally blind, 19.5% reported only light perception, and 5.2% reported as visually impaired. Participants had used dog guides for an average of 5 years (range: 1 to > 20 years).

Results: Dog guide use significantly decreased the number and severity of falls, compared to other mobility aids (p<0.01, n=80). Falls that did occur had a significantly lower incidence of fracture (p<0,05, n=80). However, dog guide users reported increased musculoskeletal pain after beginning dog guide use (p<0.05, n=80), with a significant increase in left shoulder pain (p<0.05, n=59), the side in which 96% of respondents handled their dog guide.

Discussion: We propose that dog guide use benefits iVI by reducing a risk of injuries due to falls, there exists a potential for chronic injuries to the shoulder that handles the dog guide harness, likely due to continual force on the shoulder by connection to the dog guide.

Implications for Practitioners: Walking with a dog guide has potentially adverse effects on users, including altered gait, altered posture, and chronic accelerating forces on the arm holding the handle of the harness. Clinicians should be alert to potential trauma or damage to musculoskeletal structures due to these forces.