The Mail on Sunday published an article covering the NICE guideline issues with views on gradual exercise therapy (GET).
The article has testimonies from people adversely affected by GET along with comments from experts including Dr Charles Shepherd.
Extracts
‘These treatments do not work, and worse, it appears they cause considerable harm. There is clearly a number of healthcare professionals who can’t admit they’ve got it wrong and can’t cope with change.’,
Jonathan Edwards, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at University College London
‘There is a woeful lack of treatments for ME on the NHS, but that does not mean doctors should resort to using something which does more harm than good.’
Sonya Chowdhury, chief executive of Action For ME
‘If graded exercise was a drug treatment it would have been banned years ago. It’s ineffective and harmful.’
Dr Charles Shepherd, medical adviser of the ME Association
‘Nobody said this (GET)works for everyone. But it’s a therapeutic option that helps many people, and there’s a lot of data to prove that.’
Dr Alastair Miller, deputy medical director at the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board