Symptoms

Symptoms may include:

• Fatigue
• Slowly progressive muscle weakness
• Muscular atrophy
• Muscle spasms
• Joint pain
• Muscle pain
• Difficulty swallowing, breathing, or sleeping
• Intolerance to heat or cold
• Speech problems
• Skeletal deformities, such as scoliosis

Scoliosis

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If the symptoms during the first attack of polio were severe, the symptoms of PPS may also be severe.

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. She will also do a neuromuscular exam. PPS may be hard to diagnose because symptoms come and go. They also overlap with other diseases.

Testing often involves electromyography. This measures electrical activity in affected muscles. Other, less common tests may include:

• MRI scan —a test that uses magnetic waves to make pictures of structures inside the body
• Muscle biopsy —removal of a sample of muscle tissue for testing
• Spinal tap —insertion of a needle between the vertebrae in the lower back to remove cerebrospinal fluid for testing