Bevin, I appreciate your response and perspective. According to current research (quite a few studies) findings on MRI and x-ray do not explain pain. Degeneration, scoliosis, and other findings are normal parts of aging. However, performing exercises for your back and neck specifically can be very helpful for pain.
The research supporting pain as a biopsychosocial phenomenon and not structural has been around for about 30 years. The medical community as a whole has been slow to adopt which is common for any field of research.
I do not think structure is irrelevant. I do, however, believe it is blown out of proportion and given too much credit. Treating posture and obtaining good results does not mean posture was the issue. There is great power in meeting expectations, providing a potential solution, validating pain, exercise, and manual therapy.
I completely agree with the do no harm sentiment which is why I wrote this article. Many of the treatments targetting posture are unnecessary and harmful. If we are recommending a treatment, we should have research to support it. The research does not support postural treatment and medical procedures focused on structural findings in the spine.
I share more research on pain and imaging in the following stories:
https://medium.com/beingwell/you-are-not-defined-by-your-mri-results-716aeda65e8c
