Can you move your legs if you have polio?

In life, many children will suffer from polio. Poliomyelitis will have many impacts on children, and of course it will also cause paralysis in children. Therefore, we parents should pay attention to actively treating our children. So what are the symptoms of polio? Will the legs move if you have polio? I hope the symptoms of polio introduced below will be helpful to you.

After human infection, the incubation period is 5 to 14 days. The vast majority (95%) show asymptomatic infection, some show abortive or non-paralytic type, and only a few develop paralysis.

1. Prodromal stage

The main symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, sweating, irritability and systemic hyperesthesia; nausea, vomiting, headache, sore throat, constipation, diffuse abdominal pain, rhinitis, cough, pharyngeal exudate, diarrhea, etc. can also be seen, which lasts for 1 to 4 days. If the disease does not progress, it is a setback type.

2. Early stage of paralysis

1 to 6 days after the prodromal fever subsides, the body temperature rises again, forming a double-peak fever pattern. Headache, nausea, and vomiting worsen, and the muscles of the whole body ache, especially the neck, back, and limbs. The patient is hypersensitive and does not want to be hugged by others. When forced to sit up, the patient supports himself with both hands backwards, showing a "tripod sign". Most cerebrospinal fluid changes during this period. If the course of the disease ends at this stage, it is a non-paralysis type.

3. Paralysis

Paralysis usually occurs 3 to 4 days before paralysis, when the body temperature begins to drop, and gradually worsens. After the body temperature returns to normal, the paralysis stops developing and there is no sensory impairment. It can be divided into the following types:

(1) Spinal cord type: limbs develop flaccid paralysis with asymmetric distribution. The lower limbs and large muscle groups are more susceptible to involvement than the upper limbs and small muscle groups. Tendon reflexes disappear, but sensation is present. The neck and back muscles, diaphragm, and intercostal muscles may also be affected, resulting in difficulty in erecting the head, respiratory movement disorders, and paradoxical breathing. If the abdominal muscles and bladder muscles are affected, urinary retention, constipation, and incontinence may occur.

(2) Medullary type: also known as brainstem type or bulbar type. The lesions involve the motor nuclei of the cranial nerves and the respiratory and circulatory centers of the medulla oblongata. When the respiratory center is affected, irregular breathing, irregular rhythm and abnormal breathing may occur; when the vascular motor center is affected, there may be changes in blood pressure and pulse rate. When the cranial nerves are damaged, corresponding nerve paralysis symptoms and signs appear.

(3) Cerebral type: less common, characterized by high fever, agitation, convulsions or drowsiness, coma and spastic paralysis of limbs.

(4) Mixed type: Several types mentioned above exist at the same time, with the spinal cord type and medullary type coexisting more commonly, often with limb paralysis and respiratory impairment.

4. Recovery period

1 to 2 weeks after paralysis, the affected muscles begin to recover, starting from the distal end of the limbs. Generally, the patients can fully recover in 8 months, while severe cases may take 6 to 8 months or even longer.

5. Sequelae

In severe cases, the affected muscles atrophy and nerve function cannot be restored, resulting in deformities of the affected limbs. In cases of partial paralysis, progressive neuromuscular weakness and pain occur decades after infection, and paralysis of the affected limbs worsens, which is called "post-polio muscular atrophy syndrome." The cause is unknown.

Comorbidities:

Peripheral or central respiratory paralysis may lead to aspiration pneumonia, atelectasis, purulent bronchitis and respiratory failure causing severe bleeding; long-term bed rest may cause bedsores and negative balance of nitrogen and calcium, manifested as osteoporosis, urinary stones and renal failure.

Through the above understanding of the symptoms of polio, we clearly know whether the legs of children with polio can move. Whether the legs can move depends on the different conditions of the disease. We would like to remind you that if you have polio, you should go to the hospital for treatment in time to avoid delaying your child's condition.