How is polio treated?

There is no cure for polio.

The only way to successfully prevent infection is with full immunization.
Because no drugs have been proven effective in treating polio, modern polio treatment is based entirely on treating individual symptoms. Moist heat, physical therapy, and antispasmodic drugs can improve mobility and muscular relaxation but cannot reverse permanent paralysis.

In situations where the respiratory muscles are paralyzed, the individuals can be immobilized within an iron lung or positive pressure ventilator in order to regulate breathing and increase their chance of survival.
Children who have been paralyzed by polio often require the use of crutches, braces, or wheelchairs to function.