Advances in Treatment

In the early part of the 20th century, treatment of polio patients consisted of immobilizing affected limbs in splints and plaster. Australian nurse Elizabeth Kenny, known more familiarly as Sister Kenny, recognized that such treatment would further weaken a patient’s muscular function.

She developed a regimen of moist heat and early limb mobilization that proved effective in the recovery of polio patients. Sister Kenny campaigned forcefully and tirelessly on behalf of her unorthodox method. Gradually her regimen won support, even against the initially heavy resistance in the United States medical community. Her regimen is now a standard treatment for polio.

There is no cure for polio. The focus of modern treatment has been on providing relief of symptoms, speeding recovery and preventing complications. Supportive measures include antibiotics to prevent infections in weakened muscles, analgesics for pain, moderate exercise and a nutritious diet. Treatment of polio often requires long-term rehabilitation, including physical therapy, braces, corrective shoes and, in some cases, orthopedic surgery.

Portable ventilators may be required to support breathing. Historically, a noninvasive negative-pressure ventilator, more commonly called an iron lung, was used to artificially maintain respiration during an acute polio infection until a person could breathe independently (generally about one to two weeks). Today many polio survivors with permanent respiratory paralysis use modern jacket-type negative-pressure ventilators that are worn over the chest and abdomen.

Other historical treatments for polio include hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, massage and passive motion exercises, and surgical treatments such as tendon lengthening and nerve grafting. Devices such as rigid braces and body casts—which tended to cause muscle atrophy due to the limited movement of the user—were also touted as effective treatments.