Although the incidence of polio in industrialized countries decreased dramatically in the mid-1950s, millions of polio survivors still suffer daily from the effects of the disease. In addition to the physical damage caused by the original disease, a condition known as post-polio syndrome (PPS) may affect polio survivors decades after the original infection.
Symptoms of PPS may include new or increased muscular weakness, pain in the muscles, and fatigue. Severe muscle weakness can lead to complications such as:
- Falls due to weakness in the leg muscles making it easier to lose balance. - Malnutrition and dehydration due to problems with chewing and swallowing. Problems swallowing can also lead to aspiration pneumonia caused by inhaling food into the lungs. - Acute repiratory failure due to weakness in the diaphragm and chest muscles. - Osteoporosis due to prolonged immobility.
Some things victims of PPS can do to minimize the effects of the problem are:
- Limit activities that cause pain or fatigue. - Conserve energy through assistive devices and lifestyle modifications. - Stay warm because low temperatures increase muscle fatigue. - Avoid falls by getting rid of loose clutter on the floor, avoiding slippery surfaces, and wearing good shoes that are well-fitted to your feet. - Join a support group and/or lean on family and friends for support.
Many polio survivors have one foot considerably larger than the other. Because of the additional expense involved in buying a pair of shoes in each size, many try to get by with the larger size pair of shoes alone. This is understandable, but also greatly increases the chances of falls and resulting complications.
Nordstrom department stores have long offered mismatched pairs of shoes for those with feet at least two sizes different from each other. However, many people live far from a Nordstrom store. Further, many with mismatched feet have special shoe needs not offered at Nordstrom.
The Internet has provided those with mismatched feet several new options. At least two retail sites, MixMatchShoes.com and OneShoeTwoShoe.net, offer single shoes or mismatched pairs of shoes. Another site, OddShoeFinder.com, allows users of the site to buy and sell their single shoes and mismatched pairs of shoes ? usually for less than what they would pay for a single pair of matched shoes. Those who buy two pairs of shoes at a time are also able to recoup part of their costs ? not to mention clean out their closets ? by selling their unused shoes on OddShoeFinder.com.
Recently, patients suffering from post polio syndrome ?put history to the test? by trying mineral baths and massage to alleviate their symptoms.
Post polio syndrome is a condition that may develop several decades after a person had polio. Having the syndrome does not mean that the person has developed polio again.
Post polio syndrome is a very slowly progressing condition marked by long periods of stability. It is rarely life threatening. It is estimated that 25 percent to 40 percent of people who had polio during childhood will develop post polio syndrome 30 to 40 years later.
Many health care professionals know very little about the syndrome, since polio was virtually eliminated in the 1950s.
Symptoms include new muscle weakness, fatigue and pain. Muscles whose nerves were damaged because of polio are the same muscles that can weaken and waste away. People with post polio syndrome can develop weakness in muscles that they didn't realize were affected by polio. There is no cure for post polio syndrome. Treatment is aimed at controlling symptoms and learning new ways to stay active and productive.
Royal Oak resident Bill Pickett, founder of the southeastern chapter of the Post Polio Syndrome Support Group, contracted polio at 9 months old. He spent a month in an iron lung and his right leg was left paralyzed by the disease. Pickett recently volunteered to take part in treatments at St. Joseph Hospital's Bath Wing in Mount Clemens.
?It's another tool I can use,? Pickett said of the mineral baths and massages, which are also available to the general public. A 30-minute mineral bath costs about $40, and a one-hour bath and massage package runs $75.
During a two-week period, Pickett tried daily mineral baths and six massages. He also used a mineral gel rub each day. The Birmingham-based AcheAway Corp., which manufactures the gel rub for at-home use, paid for the volunteers? treatments. AcheAway products are made from Mount Clemens minerals, but the products don't have the oily black film and sulfur smell that marked mineral baths of the late 19th century.
Pickett said the massages and baths offered some relief from his symptoms. After using crutches for 25 years and spending time at the computer keyboard, his hands were ?worn out.? Pickett said he has noticed improvement in his hands after using the treatments. He also noted improvements in sleep, and said he was able to reduce some of his medications while taking part in the experiment.
There are a few scientific studies measuring the benefits of mineral baths. However, none of the studies involved people with post polio syndrome.
Earlier this year, researchers studied patients using mineral baths at a European health resort.
The treatment resulted in improved circulation. In 2001, Russian doctors studied the effects of mineral baths on children with brain injuries.
The children received exercises, massage and baths. The doctors found that these treatments diminished the number and severity of symptoms. A two-week double blind study in Israel with people suffering from osteoarthritis in the knees found significant improvement at the end of the treatment.
Preventive efforts today are focused on wiping out polio. Problems with the oral polio vaccine, which used live polio virus, caused the United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to change its policy on polio vaccinations. It is now recommended that an inactive Polio Vaccine-only immunization schedule be followed.
Doctors recommend that polio survivors maintain standard healthy lifestyle practices, including consuming a well- balanced diet, exercising in moderation, and visiting a doctor regularly. The following lifestyle changes are considered the most beneficial: using energy-saving techniques, employing household help, buying special equipment, modifying the home, cutting back on work, and following a general conditioning exercise program.
There has been much debate about whether to encourage or discourage exercise for polio survivors or people with post polio syndrome.
AcheAway is the maker of AcheAway Gel Rub, Bath Salts and Massage Lotion, which all use the 34 Natural Minerals found in Mineral Water from Mt. Clemens, Michigan.
To find out more about AcheAway products, call 800-820-0220 or visit http://www.acheaway.com.
Birmingham-based AcheAway Corp. makes this gel rub made from Mount Clemens minerals. The products, being tested by post polio syndrome sufferers, don't have the oily black film and sulfur smell of mineral baths of the late 19th century.
Royal Oak resident Bill Pickett, pictured at home with wife Carol, contracted polio at 9 months old. He recently underwent treatments for polio survivors at St. Joseph Hospital's Bath Wing in Mount Clemens.
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Kent has sinced written about articles on various topics from Video, Shoes and Computers and The Internet. Kent Basson is the originator of oddShoeFinder.com, free online websites that help mismatched footwear. He works to help for those who want information about foot injury, different sized feet, foot length difference, diabetes foot problems, diabetes suppo. Kent's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.
Susan Gans has sinced written about articles on various topics from Jewelry, Spa and Womens Health. Geologix Inc. manufactures products using a proprietary formula featuring 34 natural minerals contained in the ancient sea water from the famous Michigan Basin -- a concentration of minerals higher than that found in any known body of water in the world.. Susan Gans's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.