If you can accept the premise that the cause of most pain is lack of strength which limits an individual from performing functional activities without creating symptoms, then clearly the advantage to strength training and flexibility training is that you can prevent most pain. Acting on this theory, I have resolved pain in patients who had surgery to resolve pain and it failed. I have treated patients from 6 to 95 all under the premise that the cause of most pain is due to muscle weakness or imbalance. 

Now, it is important to realize that there are cases in which surgery is necessary. In these cases, not only did I identify the need, but I completely endorsed the use of surgery to resolve their pain as well. It is not my roll to completely discount surgery. It is my goal to limit the innurmerable unnecessary surgeries that take place daily.

What is also very important to understand is that strength training can also be preventative--preventing conditions like arthritis from developing. Cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, obesity, type 2 diabetes and other systemic disease processes have been found to be reversible through the use of strength training. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine have all supported these findings.

All in all, not only can strength training resolve or prevent the onset of pain, it has a value to maximizing the function of the body.

Mitchell Yass is a licensed Physical Therapist, founder of PT2 Physical Therapy and Personal Training, and author of Overpower Pain: The Strength Training Program that Stops Pain without Drugs or Surgery. His pain resolution program is helping thousands of people avoid unnecessary drugs and surgery, freeing them from pain indefinitely.For more information, visit: http://www.mitchellyass.com/