Living With Polio

Millions of individuals who had polio are living in all areas of the world. Survivors range in age from a few months to nonagenarians (in their nineties). Aftereffects vary greatly depending on the number and location of the nerve cells destroyed by the poliovirus. The challenge or ease of living with polio varies for each survivor, depending on the availability of medical care and rehabilitation opportunities, and their family and social support.

Advice, hints, explanations, etc., are categorized by topic and are searchable. The source of the material is identified.

Reminder: PHI’s post-polio.org and IVUN’s ventusers.org or ventnews.org features numerous articles to assist in living with polio.

Navigating the Seating and Mobility World with Post-Polio

Sara Kraft, PT, DPT, NCS, ATP, Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions, kraftsv@musc.edu

Navigating the seating and mobility world can be daunting for many with post-polio syndrome. Issues with scoliosis, back pain and even pressure problems can be quite serious for the person living with post-polio. If using a wheelchair, the solutions can be manageable and more easily rectified by customizing seat cushions or wheelchair backrests.

Swallowing Difficulty and the Late Effects of Polio

Barbara C. Sonies, PhD, CCC, BRS-S, College Park, Maryland

A major polio epidemic in the mid-20th century left many survivors with a wide variety of physical limitations including problems swallowing foods. Many persons with swallowing problems also had original bulbar signs of polio including difficulty breathing, clearing the throat, speaking and singing.

Numbness in Leg of Polio Survivor

Frederick Maynard, MD, retired physiatrist

There are many causes of numbness, but post-polio syndrome is never the DIRECT cause. Polio affected motor nerves only and, therefore, does not lead to numbness or true loss of feeling.

Numbness and tingling are, however, common complaints among polio survivors because of the many musculoskeletal problems that they develop as they become older and because of other medical and neurologic conditions they may concurrently develop.

Pain and the Pain Patch

Frederick Maynard, MD, retired physiatrist

Pain control in people with postpolio problems is highly individualized because there is no one source of pain. I would NOT endorse the use of a Duragesic patch (fentanyl transdermal system) for long-existing pain in a person with PPS because I think it is a “dead end” in regard to long lasting relief from pain.

Post-Polio Medical Care: Post-Polio Specialists and Primary Care Physicians

Joan L. Headley, Executive Director, Post-Polio Health International

Post-Polio Health International created a survey asking polio survivors about their post-polio medical care. The survey, Post-Polio Medical Care: Post-Polio Specialists and Primary Care Physicians, was posted online and a version was also published in Post-Polio Health (Volume 30, Number 2).

Data was gathered from 632 people; 496 completed the survey online and 136 copies received by mail were entered manually. Partial information was also entered.

Post-polio hospital admissions in Australia over a 10-year period: An observational study and analysis of trends by month, location, and comparable conditions

https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdaf029 More

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