Post-Polio Health, Volume 31, Number 4, Fall 2015 Question: I am 82 years old and have PPS. Two years ago I fell backward down the stairs and broke my C2 and C3 vertebrae. I still can’t turn my neck enough to drive myself. I get worn out doing nothing, and I am tired all the time. I had two chair …
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Restless Legs and Polio; Muscles Tears and Polio
Post-Polio Health, Volume 31, Number 4, Fall 2015 Question: I had what was termed a “mild” case of polio in 1951 at age 7. Other than a barely noticeable curvature of the spine and temporary weakness in the neck, I had no ill effects and was back in full action within a couple months. I played sports throughout high school and …
More on the Mayo Clinic Study of Anesthesia in Post-Polio Patients
Selma H. Calmes, MD, anesthesiologist (retired), Olive View/UCLA Medical Center, Sylmar, California A recent Post-Polio Health article reported on the first scientific study of polio patients having anesthesia for major surgery. (1) The study was done at the Mayo Clinic and compared each post-polio (PP) patient to two control patients of the same age with the same severity of preoperative illnesses and having similar …
Questions About Receiving The Polio Vaccine After Having Already Contracted Polio
Question I contracted polio as child age 12 from the live virus vaccine. Several years ago I was diagnosed with PPS. Later in the US Army age 19 I was given a polio vaccination. What would have happened to me? What would have the side effects been? Enhanced PPS? Are there any studies on this situation? Response Marny Eulberg, MD, …
Sample Exercises
This set of sample exercises for polio survivors was prepared by Christy Osborn, PT, DPT of Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay, Michigan. Note: Caution should be taken in ensuring that each individual has a program that is tailored to fit their unique needs and is designed for the individual following a thorough assessment and is supervised initially by knowledgeable health …
A Question about Bracing
Question: What type of brace would you recommend for a post-polio patient with poor strength in the thigh muscles? We are in New Hampshire, USA. Answer: As for your patient, I am going to break down my remarks into two sections, depending on some of the characteristics of your patient. Since your email said your patient had muscle weakness in the thigh, …
How to Exercise If You Are Living with Post Polio Syndrome
By Stephen Pate If you have Post Polio Syndrome (PPS), it’s vital to exercise moderately every second day to keep the muscles we have and avoid obesity, diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Exercise also helps us accomplish more of those activities of daily living and can improve how we feel. Why Exercise? While it seems obvious, many of us with …
What to do about a bursa?
In mid-August 2016, I bumped my right elbow on the bar of my wheelchair, and it hurt a lot for a few days. But it wasn’t till late September that I developed a bursa. The nurse practitioner at our doctor’s office drained it, but it filled back up. When I went there the following week she didn’t want to drain …
La Poliomielitis No Tiene Un Contexto Social Actual
PROMOVIENDO SOLUCIONES POSITIVAS Salud Post-Polio, Primavera 2016, Volumen 32, Número 2 PREGUNTA: Como joven sobreviviente de la poliomielitis, creo que lo más difícil es tener una enfermedad / diagnóstico que ya no tiene contexto social actual. Es como estar atrapado en un túnel del tiempo cultural. Tengo una condición que está relativamente curada y erradicada de la mayoría de las partes …
Techniques to Help Us Make Changes
Mavis Matheson, MD, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada In 1995, I wrote an article called Changing Your Life By Conserving Energy. In it, I listed three techniques from an article by Sybil Kohl. Her techniques have helped me to make healthy choices and prevent further pain and weakness. Kohl [1] suggests three techniques that we could use to help ourselves make changes. These are …