Progressive resistance therapy (PRT) is not the best way to rehabilitate deficits due to multiple sclerosis

YES! Without More Evidence: PRT=Meh
Susan Coote
University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

"....while resistance training shows promise and may be effective in addressing strength deficits for people with MS, the lack of sufficient evidence, and the heterogeneous nature of MS symptoms and the goals of the individual patient, suggest that it is not the 'best' rehabilitation intervention."

http://msj.sagepub.com/content/20/2/143.full

NO! PRT is so the Bomb!
Ulrik Dalgas, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Denmark
Egon Stenager, Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark and MS-Clinic of Southern Jutland (Sønderborg, Esbjerg, Vejle), Department of Neurology, Sønderborg, Denmark

"... At the moment the single most effective non-pharmacological type of symptomatic treatment seem to be exercise therapy (ET). ET is a safe intervention, without reported side effects and/or serious adverse events. ET is not associated with an increase in the relapse rate,5 but has positive effects on a number of symptoms such as muscle weakness, fatigue and mood changes. .... One exercise modality seems to be particular effective in MS patients, namely progressive resistance training (PRT). ... [There is] strong evidence of a beneficial effect of PRT (typically performed 2–3 days per week) on muscle strength, but also functional capacity (e.g. walking), balance and self-reported measures on fatigue, quality of life and mood showed positive effects in most studies."

http://msj.sagepub.com/content/20/2/141.full

SETTLE DOWN: Let's call this a draw
Jennifer Freeman
Plymouth University, UK

"The question posed in this debate was whether PRT is the best way to rehabilitate deficits due to MS. While evidence is clearly accumulating to support the notion that PRT can result in a range of improvements across the WHO ICF framework, it is perhaps over-enthusiastic to suggest that PRT is the best way to rehabilitate deficits."

http://msj.sagepub.com/content/20/2/145.full