Welcome to Science Snapshot, a quick digest of the latest research happening across the CU Anschutz campus. Hear from researchers as they briefly explain one of their recent studies and how it could improve healthcare. In this first installment, we highlight a potential new exercise approach for people with Parkinson’s disease and the implementation of a new program for nerve blocks in the emergency department.
Increasing Strength Training Access for Parkinson's Patients
Researcher: Mark Mañago, PT, DPT, PhD, NCS
Department: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
What did you study?
We investigated the feasibility of low-load resistance training combined with blood flow restriction (BFR) in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). BFR is a relatively new exercise approach where a pressure cuff is used to partially occlude blood flow to a limb during exercise. This creates a hypoxic environment that triggers a series of physiologic responses that have been shown to facilitate muscle strength and hypertrophy. In healthy adults and in people recovering from a musculoskeletal injury, low-load resistance training with BFR has been shown to produce muscle strength and hypertrophy gains comparable to high-load training without BFR.
What problem are you trying to solve?
Because BFR is a newer technology and the pressure cuff can be uncomfortable for some, we wanted to know if low-load resistance training with BFR could be feasible, acceptable and safe in people with PD. We enrolled 20 people with PD who all underwent eight weeks of twice-weekly training.
What did you find?
Using both quantitative and qualitative data, we found that BFR was feasible based on ability to enroll and retain participants with PD and safe based on the lack of related, serious adverse events. We also measured clinically important improvements in muscle strength and functional mobility following the intervention. Ultimately, the results support moving forward to study the efficacy of BFR training in people with PD, which is what we are planning to do next.
What is one key takeaway you would like people to know about this research?
BFR may be a promising way to improve exercise access to people with PD and other neurological conditions that can limit someone’s ability to exercise at higher intensities. More data is needed, but our results show considerable potential for BFR training in people with PD.
Expanding Use of Nerve Blocks in Emergency Departments
Researcher: Joseph Brown, MD
Department: Emergency Medicine
What did you study?
A large body of literature shows that emergency physicians can do ultrasound-guided nerve blocks (UGNBs) safely and effectively. They should be considered a core component of multimodal pain management and have fewer side effects than opiates, but many emergency departments (EDs) are not routinely performing them. Adoption has been slow due to educational, logistical and interdepartmental barriers. In our study, we described the implementation of an UGNB program at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital ED at CU Anschutz.
What problem were you trying to solve?
We tried to solve previously identified barriers to using UGNBs, including materials, interdepartmental relationships and provider comfort with the procedure.
What did you find?
Our change management strategy increased the use of UGNBs in our department. This is reflected in a steady increase from zero UGNBs being performed in our ED from 2017 to 2020 to nearly 200 being performed in 2025. Four ED clinical pathways were updated to include UGNB recommendations, and no patient safety events were reported. Implementation success was facilitated by leadership support, procedural infrastructure, educational programming and workflow integration.
What is one key takeaway you’d like people to know about this research?
As emergency providers, we are on the front lines of managing painful conditions, and we should feel empowered to use UGNBs. Even in places that have high patient volumes, there are ways to incorporate nerve blocks into the practice, and we owe it to our patients to do what’s best for them. We built a safe and effective program through dedication and collaboration. While we still have a ways to go, we’re better than we were five years ago.
