Was this article helpful? Muscle Balance- The key to chronic
pain and Optimum function Evaluating and treating function
rather than structure is the KEY to treating pain and optimum
performance in sports Geoff Lecovin, D.C., N.D., L.Ac., CSCS
There are generally two schools of thought regarding causes of
chronic musculoskeletal pain: Structure and function. The
structure approach relates pain with the pathology of specific
static structures e.g. degenerative joint disease. This is the
typical orthopedic approach. It stresses diagnosis based upon
local evaluation and imaging tests such as x-rays, MRI’s and CT
scans. The functional approach recognizes the function of all
processes and systems within the body, rather than focusing on a
single site of pathology. While the structural approach is
necessary and valuable for an acute injury, the functional
approach is often preferable when addressing chronic
musculoskeletal pain, as it looks at the body as a whole and
recognizes the interdependence of the musculoskel