Taking narcotic pain killers, epidural nerve blocks or cortisone shots do nothing to resolve the cause of pain. It is a feudal attempt to mask pain. I have proven that the cause of pain in most cases is muscle weakness like a strain or muscle imbalance. Even when pain is experienced in a joint, it is the result of improper forces causing a misalignment of the joint surfaces. This creates abnormal rubbing causing pain and irritation. If the cause of pain is muscular, the only way to resolve it is with purposeful, isolated strength training.
Studies have shown that the findings of MRIs and x-rays such as herniated discs, stenosis, arthritis and meniscal tears can be found in as many people with no pain as those with pain. This has led to the conclusion that there is little correlation between MRI and x-ray findings and the cause of pain. This sentiment was echoed in an article in the New York Times in which physicians themselves described the fact that the evidence indicates that MRIs and x-rays are limited in identifying the true cause of pain.
Other studies actually tested surgeries designed to resolve arthritis in the knee or vertebral fractures in the spine to resolve knee and back pain. In separate studies for back pain and knee pain, groups of individuals with pain were broken into two groups. One group got the surgery designed to resolve the vertebral fracture or the arthritis in the knee while the other group received a mock surgery. In both studies, the decrease in pain whether the individual received the real surgery or the fake surgery was exactly the same. This clearly indicated that the correction of these structural abnormalities, namely fractured vertebrae and arthritis in the knee, have no correlation to pain experienced in the same location.
The obvious conclusion is that something else is causing the pain. I have proven that the cause of pain in most cases is muscle weakness and/or imbalance and the only way to resolve this cause is through isolated, purposeful strength training. Until this is accepted by the medical establishment, the number of people suffering from chronic pain will rise. More people will be forced to live with pain limiting them from living happy, productive lives.
