Shared peer advice from polio survivors about what works for them.

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News about people who have made significant contributions to the disability community.

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Is Further Corrective Surgery After a Grice-Green Procedure Ill-Advised?

Brian Tiburzi

Question: I had a Grice-Green procedure in 1955 to correct toe drop and weak foot muscles in my right foot secondary to polio. I have had outstanding results since then. Though I have a gait specific to my disability, I am a hiker and can walk with good hiking boots for as far as eight miles. This is becoming more …

Tips for Physical Therapy Precautions to Aid Post-Surgical Recovery

Brian Tiburzi

QUESTION: I am going to schedule a left-shoulder replacement soon and would like to know if recovery will be more difficult with atrophied left paraspinal muscles. I had polio at eight years of age and was paralyzed from my neck down. I made a remarkable recovery and am now 77 years old. I have never needed mobility aids, but I …

Nerve Tests to Determine Polio Diagnoses

Brian Tiburzi

Question: I am 79 years old and was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome a few years ago. I was originally diagnosed with polio when I was nine years old. On a follow-up visit to Rancho Los Amigos in Downey, California, the doctor I saw (different from the one I had previously seen) told me he wasn’t certain that I had ever …

How Successful are Knee Replacements for Post-Polio Syndrome Patients and What is Recovery Like?

Brian Tiburzi

Question: I am an 83-year-old female polio survivor. The knee on my polio-afflicted right leg is bone-on-bone. My doctor is pressing me to get a knee replacement. How successful are knee replacements for post-polio syndrome patients and what is recovery like? Marny Eulberg, MD: I don’t have any statistics on success and recovery after knee replacements in polio survivors, and …

What Happens Over Time with a Fused Back, Does the Fusion Eventually Wear Out?

Brian Tiburzi

Question: I contracted polio at 10 months of age in 1954. At the age of 13 in 1966, my scoliosis had progressed to where my “S”-shaped spine was fused from the base of my neck to the bottom of my spine. My back has been solid and pain-free (except for several brief times when some areas became sore and healed …

Is Tiredness a Symptom of Post-Polio Syndrome?

Brian Tiburzi

Question: I had polio at age three. I am now 67 years old. I have no movement from my waist down. I have severe scoliosis with a 95° curve. I have had two spinal fusions. I now have post-polio syndrome. I am so tired. I cannot seem to transfer or function as I have before. I sleep for much of …

Carpel Tunnel Release Surgery and Use of Crutches

Brian Tiburzi

Question: I am a polio survivor who contracted polio at the age of two. I am now 61 years old. I started having pain after a fall two years ago and I’ve been told that I needed carpel tunnel release surgery. The muscle in my right thumb is starting to atrophy. I walk with two forearm crutches and have been …

Advice for Foot Edema After Hernia Surgery

Brian Tiburzi

Question: I have lower left leg PPS atrophy. Since hernia surgery recently, I haven’t been able to walk or bicycle as I regularly used to do. I’ve sometimes noticed worrisome foot edema that is more pronounced and sustained since the surgery. Other than trying not to sit for too long, cutting back on salt and elevating the leg more, is …

Shoulder Replacement in Polio Survivors.

Brian Tiburzi

Question: I have a severe rotator cuff tear and an orthopedic surgeon has recommended a shoulder replacement because of the severity of the tear and the presence of significant arthritis. I had polio in my right leg and use my left leg to lift/stabilize myself on crutches. Apparently the increased dependency has weakened my arms and, perhaps, injured them. The …