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Post Polio Clinic

Did you know that Sanford Rehabilitative Clinic offers a post Polio Clinic on a monthly basis? Dr. Susan Assam conducts this multi-disciplinary clinic with the help of Sanford Health & University of South Dakota Medical Center staff. The team includes physical therapist Brian Iverson who trained at Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute in Warm Springs, GA; and Sandy Sorum, an occupational therapist, with six years experience at Sanford's inpatient and outpatient facilities.

Who Benefits from the Post-Polio Clinic?
Survivors of polio who have led health active lives may experience problems as they grow older such as fatigue, pain and weakness. The post-polio clinic is geared to help them cope with their changing health.

When is the Clinic Held?
The clinic is held the first Tuesday of every month at the Sanford Outpatient Rehabilitation Center with parking, therapy equipment and clinic offices in close proximity. If you have a question about the clinic or wish to make a referral, call Claudia the Sanford Rehabilitative Clinic at 605-328-1848.

What is post-polio syndrome?
Post-polio syndrome (PPS), a condition that may develop several decades after a person has had polio (poliomyelitis), affects the muscles and nerves, causing weakness, fatigue, pain, and other symptoms. Only people who have had polio can get PPS, but PPS is not the same illness as polio. Having PPS does not mean that you have developed polio again. Unlike polio, it is not contagious.

What causes post-polio syndrome?
It has been known for a long time that the polio virus damages the nerves that control muscles. This is what causes the muscle weakness seen in a person with polio. In people who at least partially recover from polio, the nerves that are still working grow branches that connect to some of the muscles that have lost nerve connections. When this happens, you usually regain at least partial use of that muscle.

Many doctors now believe that these new nerve connections are not as strong as the original nerves and may break down after 20 or more years. When these nerve connections break down, the muscles they control may become weaker. This may be why many people who had polio get PPS.

What are the symptoms of post-polio syndrome?
Symptoms of PPS tend to develop very slowly. The main symptoms are new muscle weakness, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain. Muscles whose nerves were damaged when you had polio are the ones that may weaken and waste away (atrophy) because of PPS. However, it is possible that when you had polio, not all of the affected nerves caused noticeable muscle weakness. Therefore, you may develop weakness in muscles that you did not realize had been affected by polio.

If the muscles of the chest or throat were affected, you many develop swallowing or breathing problems. You many have back problems if your abdominal muscles were affected. Other symptoms may include sleep problems, an inability to tolerate cold temperatures, and increased stress.

How is post-polio syndrome diagnosed?
A diagnosis of post-polio syndrome is based on your medical history - specifically, your experience with polio and the extent of your recovery from it - and your current symptoms. Lab tests may be used to check for other possible causes of symptoms. You may require repeated physical exams as symptoms develop.

Who is affected by post-polio syndrome?
Many doctors now believe that everyone who had polio may eventually have some symptoms of PPS. However, people who have only minor symptoms may never seek treatment or be diagnosed with PPS. Also, it is difficult to predict when the symptoms will begin and how severe they will be. The exact period of time it takes for symptoms of PPS to develop varies with each individual. Symptoms of PPS may develop as soon as 15 years after you had polio, or they may take more than 50 years to appear (30 years is typical). It is estimated that 25% to 40% of people who had polio during childhood will develop PPS 30 to 40 years later.

You are more likely to develop PPS if:

You had polio when you were a teen or an adult. (Babies and young children who had polio are less likely to develop PPS.)

You have significant remaining muscle weakness. The more extensive or severe the weakness you still have after recovering from polio, the more likely you are to experience symptoms of PPS.

You had breathing problems because the polio virus affected the nerves that control breathing.

You are a woman.

How is post-polio syndrome treated?
Treatment for PPS is aimed at controlling symptoms and learning new ways of staying active and productive despite having muscle weakness. A balanced program of exercise and rest seems to be the most effective approach. Treatment may also include pain medications, the use of assistive devices such as canes or braces, and physical therapy.

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