Post-polio syndrome: A cause of functional decline

Victims of poliomyelitis are facing new problems of weakness, fatigue, and disability many years after they have presumably recovered from their disease. Those patients most severely affected with acute polio are most likely to suffer from post-polio syndrome (PPS). Particularly in the elderly, the symptoms of PPS can be difficult to distinguish from other conditions that affect muscles and joints. A number of interventions may preserve functional abilities in these patients once their problem is correctly diagnosed.