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Post Polio Clinic

Post Polio Syndrome

Post polio syndrome is a condition occurring in individuals who had acute poliomyelitis years earlier. It is manifested in a variety of signs and symptoms, including pain, new muscle weakness, generalized fatigue, local fatigue in polio involved muscles, sleep disturbance, impaired breathing, swallowing difficulties, loss of function in ambulation and in activities of daily living.

The associated and interacting issues contributing to post polio problems include:

• other illness or injury
• extended period of inactivity or immobility
• over use of weakened muscles
• contractures
• under use of involved muscles and loss of skills
• respiratory problems
• sleep disturbances
• deconditioning
• need for ambulatory aids
• possible recurrence of viral infection
• possible residuals of polio encephalitis

Post Polio Clinic

Sister KennyŽ Rehabilitation Institute created its Post Polio Clinic in 1982, after a 1981 international meeting in Chicago focused on the new problems faced by individuals who had acute polio years earlier.

A protocol was established for diagnosing and treating the new condition. The Institute’s goal was to better define the extent of the problem as well as to define those issues that were remediable and those that should be addressed with braces, ambulatory aids, wheelchairs and adaptive equipment designed to enhance function in the presence of increased weakness and disability. Baseline measures are established in:

• range of motion
• contractures and skeletal deformities
• muscle strength
• endurance
• breathing capacity
• ambulatory aids and assistive devices

Initial Visit

A Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Associates physician performs the initial evaluation, which consists of a detailed history of the initial illness, the maximum level of recovery and the recent onset of new signs and symptoms. Other health issues are reviewed. The examination includes vital signs, gait examination, range of motion and flexibility, manual muscle test, neurological examination, and an evaluation of pain and tenderness. The assessment and implications are discussed with the patient.

Also during the initial evaluation, a physical therapist assessment will establish an exercise program to address the issues defined in the initial medical examination. Further evaluations to define management of other features of post polio syndrome will subsequently be obtained as necessary from departments at the Institute, including:

• Rehabilitation Medicine and Electromyography
• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Aquatic Therapy
• Rehabilitation Nursing
• Speech and Swallowing
• Psychology
• Social Service

The Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Associates physician will coordinate the services and share the information with patients and their primary care physicians. Services relevant to the management of individual cases of post polio syndrome are available on the campus of Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis and will be utilized when indicated. These services include:

• respiratory therapy
• dietetics and nutrition
• orthotics
• orthopedics
• radiology
• neurology
• cardiology
• complementary and alternative medicine provided by Abbott Northwestern’s Institute for Health and Healing

A final medical report will summarize the evaluation and will include details of the various evaluations. Important features of the report are the manual muscle test, range of motion, gait description, pulmonary function and activities of daily living assessment. A treatment plan will be devised and explained to the patient. The patient and physician will establish measures that can be used by the patient to determine progress or change in function. These could include measures such as ranges of motion, distances walked, exercise endurance, laps swum, weights lifted and exercise tolerated.

Follow-Up

The frequency of follow-up visits to the Post Polio Clinic is individualized based on the ongoing needs of the patient and the availability of local services for out of state individuals. Regularly scheduled returns to the clinic are valuable to evaluate subtle changes that might suggest a needed change in the patient’s regimen.

Information and Scheduling

For more information about post polio syndrome and the Post Polio Clinic, call 612-863-4495.

For scheduling consultation or follow-up, call 612-863-8947.

 

Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute
800 E. 28th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
612-863-4200 or toll free 866-880-3550
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