News

Educating Canadians about a forgotten disease

March 1st, 2008 - Canada-Wide --

The dearth of post-polio clinics in Canada is leaving thousands of polio survivors with few treatment options for their specific condition.

Little understood by most doctors, in the 1980's medical researchers confirmed that many survivors of polio would develop post-polio syndrome (PPS) later in life, a condition with symptoms that include weakness, fatigue, breathing and swallowing problems and muscle atrophy. In fact, it is estimated that up to 50 to 70 percent of polio survivors may experience the disabling effects of post-polio syndrome 25 to 45 years after their initial recovery from polio. There are approximately 125,000 Canadian polio survivors.

Many polio survivors have a difficult time accessing a physiatrist, a physician specializing in non-surgical management and treatment of injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular system, with experience treating PPS. There are less formalized clinics in hospitals, such as the Ottawa Hospital where there are a number of physiatrists who treat polio survivors, but only one formal post-polio clinic in all of Canada – at the Montreal Neurological Hospital.

“At Polio Canada, we provide the information to help polio survivors access proper care for post-polio syndrome and we receive an average of 15 calls per month from polio survivors looking for support,” says Sheila Casemore, Manager of Polio Canada.

“We have on-line support groups where polio survivors share information with each other but are always looking at new ways of serving polio survivors,” she continues.

Polio Canada and hundreds of local volunteers across the country are working to raise awareness of the late effects of polio and post-polio syndrome. With March designated as Polio Awareness Month, Polio Canada has increased its efforts to educate the public about post-polio syndrome and archive the stories of polio survivors across Canada and ensure they are not forgotten to time. The organization is dedicated to preserving the memories of polio survivors, their families and those that cared for them, and will be posting the stories on its website (www.poliocanada.com) and in its literature.

If you or someone you know would like to share your polio story, please call 1-800-480-5903 or e-mail info@poliocanada.com

Polio Canada®, a program of March of Dimes Canada, is the leading service provider of education, information and peer support to polio survivors across Canada.

March of Dimes Canada is a nationally registered charitable organization providing support services to people with disabilities, their families and caregivers across Canada. For more information, please call 1-800-263-3463 or visit the website at www.marchofdimes.ca

For more information please contact:

Ruth Kapelus
Public Relations Coordinator
March of Dimes Canada
10 Overlea Blvd.
Toronto, ON M4H 1A4
Phone: 416-425-3463 ext. 7254
Toll Free: 1-800-263-3463 ext. 7254
rkapelus@marchofdimes.ca
www.marchofdimes.ca