Richard Louis Bruno

Dr. Richard Louis Bruno is a clinical psychophysiologist, and an expert in Post-Polio Sequelae (PPS, also known as "Post-polio syndrome")^[1]. PPS are the unexpected and often disabling fatigue, muscle weakness and pain that are occurring in the world's 20 million survivors of polio.

Dr. Bruno trained at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. In 1984, Dr. Bruno organized the International Post-Polio Task Force, which he chairs. He also serves as advisor to post-polio support groups on four continents. Dr. Bruno edited three special issues of the journal Orthopedics devoted to PPS, and advises both Congress and the federal government on PPS-related issues. Dr. Bruno drafted the Social Security Disability regulations for PPS. In 2003 he drafted and, with Congressman Steve Rothman and Senator Arlen Specter, won release of a Social Security Ruling for Post-Polio Sequelae to stop denials of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for PPS.^[2]

Dr. Bruno's work has been published in many journals including Stroke, Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Neurology, Disability and Society, the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Psychophysiology, Sexuality and Disability, the American Journal of Medicine, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. He is also a contributing editor of New Mobility magazine. Dr. Bruno conceived and co-wrote the story on the NBC series "American Dreams" about nine-year-old Will Pryor, who had one leg paralyzed by polio, having surgery so that he would no longer need to wear a long-leg brace.

Dr. Bruno has received numerous honors for his work, including the New Jersey Pride Award in Health, and an honorary Doctor of Humanics degree from Springfield College. Dr. Bruno was also selected to present the 45th Annual John Stanley Coulter Lecture^[3] to the annual meeting of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. ^[4]

Dr. Bruno lectures throughout the world and his work is frequently covered by the media. Articles on Dr. Bruno's work have appeared in Newsweek, The New York Times and USA Today. He has appeared on NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America, on CNN, The CBS Evening News, ABC News Nightline, on the BBC, CBC, National Public Radio, and on The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel.

Dr. Bruno is director of The Post-Polio Institute, International Centre for Post-Polio Education and Research and Fatigue Management Programs at New Jersey's Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.^[5] His book The Polio Paradox: Uncovering the Hidden History of Polio to Understand and Treat "Post-Polio Syndrome" and Chronic Fatigue, is published by Warner Books. (ISBN 0446690694)

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Past abuse of polio patients prevents treatment for PPS today

A study of 1,185 polio survivors, conducted by Dr. Nancy Frick and Dr. Bruno, found that 34 percent of them were physically abused during their inital (childhood) treatment for polio, and 94 percent reported emotional abuse. Sexual abuse was reported at a rate three times as high as that for the general population of that age group -- those who were children in the 1940s and 1950s.^[6] Commenting on this history, Dr Bruno says "It's no wonder that so many polio survivors refuse to appear disabled again by using by using crutches, braces or, God forbid, a wheelchair. It appears that polio survivors have been using Type-A behavior as protection against their deep fear of further abuse and criticism."

Vaccination

Dr. Bruno advocates universal vaccination for polio.

"We start getting not just five cases as in Minnesota, but 50 or 500 cases of polio. Parents are going to wake up and say, 'We should be vaccinating.' The price of not vaccinating is much higher than the potential price of vaccinating."^[7]

"The CDC estimates that nearly 93% of US children 19-35 months old are vaccinated against polio. Ninety-three percent sounds good, until you realize that leaves more than one million toddlers unvaccinated. What is worse, toddlers below the poverty line have even lower polio vaccination rates, 89.5% in Newark and 87% in New York City, a rate equal to Asian countries that include Cambodia, Mongolia and Viet Nam. These statistics are especially frightening considering the ease of air travel to the US from Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria, where polio has never come under control, and from the ten African and Asian nations that were polio-free but where the poliovirus has been reintroduced. What will happen when a healthy-appearing but polio-infected international traveler lands at an airport and travels through a poor community? Every American child must receive all four doses of the injectable, inactivated polio vaccine. America's polio epidemic could be just a plane ride away." ^[8]

Sources

(Alphabetical by author. Sources with no listed author at the end, alpha by title.)

• Bruno, Dr. Richard L. (October 2002). Polio By Any Other Name: A Double Standard of Disbelief. M.E. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association of Ontario. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. “Despite the similarities between West Nile and polio, why are those who had WNV believed when they complain of lasting fatigue and muscle weakness -- even depression -- while doctors still don't "believe" PPS exists?”
• Bruno, Richard L.. Preventing Complications in Polio Survivors Undergoing Surgery. Greater Boston Post-Polio Association. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. “Unfortunately, only a handful of specialists treat Post-Polio Sequelae (PPS) - the unexpected and often disabling fatigue, muscle weakness, joint pain, cold intolerance and swallowing, sleep and breathing problems occurring in America's 1.63 million polio survivors 40 years after their acute polio.1,2 However, all medical professionals need to be familiar with the neurological damage done by the original poliovirus infection that today causes unnecessary discomfort, excessive physical pain and occasionally serious complications after surgery.”
• Farrow, Mia (March 8, 2002). Letter. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
• [Goodwin, M.D.] (March 8, 1999). Post-Polio Syndrome. The Infinite Mind. National Public Radio. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. “Dr. Bruno said his studies have indicated that symptoms can be reduced quite a bit if polio survivors take two 15-minute breaks during the day, and put their feet up and relax.”
• Maugh, Thomas H. (June 5, 2001). After Effects of Polio May Hit Millions. Los Angeles Times A10. Archived from the original on 2002-01-01. Retrieved on 2007-07-23. “"When patients were recovering from polio, we made them exercise their muscles and told them to 'Use it or Lose it,' " said Dr. Richard Bruno, director of the Post-Polio Institute at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in New Jersey. Now it is just the opposite. The byword is "Conserve to preserve."”
• Moss, Jill (August 28, 2002). Health Report: Post-Polio Syndrome. VOA Special English Health Report.. Voice of America. Retrieved on 2007-07-20. “Richard Bruno is an expert on Post-Polio Sequelae. He says the condition is caused when nerves damaged earlier by the poliovirus become tired and overworked. There is no cure.”
• Roxanne Nelson (september 2004). On Borrowed Time: Polio survivors may lose their iron lungs.. AARP Bulletin'. AARP. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
• Noble, Holcomb B. (November 10, 1998). Scientist At Work: Nancy Frick; A First-Person Study Of Polio's Painful Legacy. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. “Dr. Frick did not make the connection between the attack and her childhood polio until two years later, when she sought treatment from Dr. Richard L. Bruno, and they began talking about her past. Dr. Bruno was studying the effects of disease on the autonomic nervous system at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York.”
• [Post] (October 28, 2005). Minnesota polio cases raise awareness of immunization. MPR News. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved on 2007-07-23. “"There's no reason why every child in America shouldn't be vaccinated against polio," said Bruno. "Parents should demand it, and school districts should demand that every kid that comes into kindergarten be vaccinated against polio and all diseases."”
• Ralston, Julie (1 March 1999). '47 flu may have been mild polio. The Cincinnati Post. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. “Bruno wants to identify survivors of the mysterious grippe and analyze their health today. It could be shown that they had the low-grade form of polio that, while not paralyzing, damages nerves and causes a wide array of symptoms, known as post-polio syndrome. Potentially thousands of people's minds could be put to rest about their undiagnosed symptoms if it can be proven that grippe survivors have post-polio syndrome, Bruno said.”
• [Rothman]; Kimberly Allen (September 19, 2006). Congressman Rothman's "Year of Polio Awareness" Resolution Passes. Press Release. Retrieved on 2007-07-23. “"PPS symptoms include overwhelming fatigue, muscle weakness, muscle and joint pain, sleep disorders, and difficulty swallowing and breathing," explains Dr. Bruno. "An alarming number of medical professionals - and even polio survivors themselves - don't know PPS exists and that treatment is available and effective."”
• Skirble, Rosanne (16 March 2003). New Battle Against Post-Polio Sequelae. VOA News. Voice of America. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
• Skirble, Rosanne (16 March 2003). Post Polio Sequelae: A Conversation with Survivors. VOA News. Voice of America. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
• Company Pulls Plug On Iron Lung. 10News.com.. 10News San Diego (May 12, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-07-23. “"This is a death sentence for these patients," said Dr. Richard Bruno of the International Post Polio Task Force. Bruno said Respironics' decision to pull the plug on iron lung patients is symptomatic of a bigger problem. "Nobody is concerned about polio survivors," Bruno said.”
• "Polio's Backlash". The American Journal of Nursing. July, 1985.
• Profile of Dr Richard L. Bruno. M.E. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association of Ontario. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.

Notes

1. ^ Goodwin, "Post-polio syndrome" in #Sources
2. ^ (Rothman, "Year of Polio Awareness") in #Sources
3. ^ http://www.acrm.org/research_awards/Coulter_Lecturer_Award_History.cfm
4. ^ American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine http://www.acrm.org/index.cfm
5. ^ M.E. "Profile" in #Sources
6. ^ Noble "Scientist at Work" in #Sources
7. ^ Post "Minnesota polio cases raise awareness of immunization" in #Sources
8. ^ "Keeping polio at bay in New Jersey . The Record, September 4, 2007