Self-regulation treatment of post-polio cold limb.

Decreased limb temperature in the affected limb is one of the aftereffects of poliomyelitis. The decrease in limb temperature can be painful as well as subjectively unpleasant. A search of the current literature failed to reveal a cost-effective treatment for post-polio cold limbs. Since thermal biofeedback and other physiologic self-regulatory therapies have been shown to be effective in increasing peripheral blood flow in a number of disorders, they were used in the treatment of a patient with a post-polio cold limb. The patient showed foot warming during therapy sessions. This effect generalized to situations outside the therapy environment. The patient's self-report also indicated treatment to be successful. Replication and studies of the warming and cooling mechanism are suggested.