Some doctors believe that too much exercise can worsen the patient's condition, and that rest will preserve energy. These doctors think patients will wear out their muscles by overusing them in exercise activities. However, others consider this notion unfounded and not scientifically documented. Their study showed that exercise is safe and effective, and other investigators have had similar findings. A commonsense approach, in which patients use individual tolerance as their limit, is currently recommended.
Tolerance is the level at which one starts having discomfort or fatigue.
Presently, no prevention has been found. Some basic researchers are studying the behavior of motor neurons many years after a polio attack. Trying to determine if there is an immunological link in PPS is also an area of intense interest. Researchers who discovered inflammation around motor neurons in the muscle are trying to find out if this is due to an immunological response. Other investigators are searching for the polio virus, or mutated versions of it, fragments of which have been amplified from the spinal fluid.