Polio and Foot Deformity

Polio is an extremely contagious virus that swept through the US during the earlier half of the twentieth century and now has largely been eradicated by the polio vaccine, created by Jonas Salk in the 1950s. It is transmitted between people usually through fecal-oral contact, and the virus is most prevalent during summer months. Ninety-five percent of the time polio produces no symptoms (known as asymptomatic polio). When it does produce symptoms, the disease comes in three degrees:

1. Abortive polio: The infected person suffers from flu-like symptoms of sore throat, fever, diarrhea and general malaise. Symptoms usually clear within a two week period and the survivor proceeds with life as normal.

2. Non-paralytic polio: More serious than abortive polio, people with non-paralytic polio show neurological symptoms of stiffness in the neck and sensitivity to light.

3. Paralytic polio: A form of the disease that leads to muscular paralysis. Paralytic polio can sometimes end in death. The virus attacks the nervous system governing the muscles. While some people make a full recovery, others suffer from paralysis and deformity that will last for their entire lives.

Foot and leg deformities are widely associated with paralytic polio. Conditions such as scoliosis, improper posture, uneven leg length, stunted growth of the pelvis, pain in the neck, back hip, knee or foot due to uneven growth, flat feet, flaccid feet, high arch (cavus foot), over pronation (the foot’s tendency to roll in towards the body when we walk), mismatched feet, calluses, bunions, corns, hammertoe and claw toe are all long term symptoms of paralytic polio that persist for polio survivors today despite the miraculous vaccine.

These conditions, of course, greatly affect and often reduce a polio survivor’s mobility and thereby, their ability to independently navigate the world.
In order to deal with these foot deformities and problems, special supports and shoes are necessary. Shoe raises can be made to alleviate uneven limb length, which leads to complications in the muscles, joints and tendons of the back and legs. Orthopedic inserts (orthotics) can be used to provide the proper support for flat or flaccid feet, or for feet with stiff and high arches. Other polio survivors need high heels in order to retain the body’s proper balance. Knee, back and lower leg braces can protect the body while increasing mobility. Mismatched shoes may be necessary in order to provide each foot with customized support and proper alignment.