Living with Polio

U-M clinic helps post-polio syndrome patients maintain independence and mobility

Fifty years after the University of Michigan’s Thomas Francis Jr., M.D., announced that a new vaccine for one of the most virulent childhood diseases was “safe, effective and potent,” the effects of polio still linger among the estimated 300,000 polio survivors in the United States.

Donald and Nancy Giroux Photo: Marie Frost

Donald and Nancy Giroux from Davison, Michigan, are two of those survivors. Donald contracted polio in 1953 at age 8, and spent a year recovering in a Detroit hospital. Nancy was infected in 1949 when she was 3 years old. Both have worn leg braces and used crutches since childhood. Since their marriage in 1968, they have enjoyed a full and active life together — holding down jobs, raising their granddaughter, Donnajean, cutting and splitting firewood to heat their home, and going for long walks.

But a few years ago, Nancy noticed that her arms were getting weaker. Severe leg pain and flu-like symptoms were making it hard for Donald to keep working. After seeing several doctors, they were referred to the U-M Health System where they were diagnosed with post-polio syndrome.

Ann Laidlaw and Mark Taylor Photo: Martin Vloet

Ten to 40 years after the initial onset of symptoms, polio survivors often begin to experience fatigue, muscle weakness, joint pain, and muscular atrophy caused by post-polio syndrome. Many polio survivors struggle with disability, pain and even limb deformity for years before seeking treatment, says Mark Taylor, director of clinical and technical services at the U-M Orthotics and Prosthetics Center.

“Post-polio syndrome creates challenges at work and in everyday life,” says Taylor, a polio survivor who contracted the disease when he was 9 months old. “Polio patients strive to be normal, and at the clinic we work with them to create a treatment plan to help them maintain their independence and mobility.”

The U-M Health System has one of only three clinics in the state focused on treating post-polio patients. Its team of physicians, orthotists and prosthetists come mainly from the Medical School’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Together, they treat patients, study polio’s long-term effects, and educate the next generation of health care providers.

To maximize mobility and minimize stress on weight-bearing joints, Taylor fits many of the clinic’s patients with custom leg braces and other orthotics, created by a team of experts at the Orthotics and Prosthetics Center using light-weight materials and the latest technology.

“Mark [Taylor] made new braces for us that are lighter weight, more comfortable and provide more stability than the old ones,” Nancy Giroux says. “It made a big difference in our walking. They sent us for physical therapy and gave Donald cortisone injections to help with his leg pain. Since Mark has polio himself, he knows how we feel and where we’re coming from.”

Patients come to the clinic from all over the United States, says Ann Laidlaw (M.D. 1996), a clinical lecturer in physical medicine and rehabilitation in the Medical School and director of the Post-Polio Clinic.

“Few clinics deal specifically with post-polio syndrome or other polio-related problems,” says Laidlaw.

“Patients are grateful we are here for them, and that we understand what they’re going through.”

Claire Kalpakjian Photo: Scott Galvin

Claire Kalpakjian, Ph.D., a research fellow in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, works with others in the department on research designed to learn more about polio’s long-term effects.

A recent nationwide study led by Kalpakjian examined the impact of menopause on women who are polio survivors, as well as the differences between men and women with post-polio syndrome. Kalpakjian will use the information for a collaborative study with Michigan State University that will focus on self-esteem and sexuality in post-polio women.

“Studying women with disabilities in general is so important because they have long been neglected in rehabilitation research,” says Kalpakjian. “But learning and understanding how male and female polio survivors differ as they age will help us identify the best treatment and health management approaches for both groups.”

—KH, SFP

For information on the U-M’s Post-Polio Clinic and other services for patients with disabilities and injuries:
www.med.umich.edu/pmr/clinical.htm