Chapter 147 - Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome

Abstract

During the first half of the 20th century, millions of people around the world, mostly children, acquired paralytic polio, also referred to as infantile paralysis. In 1955, polio vaccination started in the United States and shortly thereafter in other parts of the world. Over the past three decades, massive vaccination programs have been launched to completely eradicate polio, and in 2017 less than a hundred new cases were reported. Even though the global initiative to combat polio has been very successful, the long-term consequences of the initial infection will remain well into the 21st century. Many persons who recovered from the acute paralytic polio infection can several decades later experience new symptoms, such as muscle weakness, muscle fatigability, general fatigue, and pain during activities and at rest. This is referred to as postpolio myelitis syndrome (PPS) with several million people around the world being affected, making it one of the most common neuromuscular conditions. There is no treatment that can cure PPS or any medication that can delay its progression, but those who have PPS do benefit from taking part in an interdisciplinary comprehensive goal-oriented rehabilitation program. Such a program may reduce the consequences of the symptoms and the disability that these symptoms impose on their lives. Through rehabilitation, persons with PPS can acquire new skills, which, over time, contribute to a sense of control and an overall adaptation to a new but good life.