Chronic back pain is usually caused by a herniated or degenerated spin

I’m not an expert, but I can try my best to tell you what I see. Maybe it will help?

The first thing is to realize that when a question asks you “which of the following is most strongly supported”, the correct answer is not always a 100% must be true inference. The question is asking you for the conclusion that is “most STRONGLY supported.” A subtle difference, but very important.

Usually you can tell what kind of answer you are looking for based on the question stem. For a pure Inference question that requires an answer that must be 100% valid, the question stem will generally be asking you to draw from the passage something that must be categorically true.

This question is not asking for that. We are asked to find the answer that is “most strongly supported” by the facts and premises in the passage.

We are looking for a solid Conclusion that an author would make using the facts provided as supporting evidence. The conclusion should be strongly supported by the facts. It may not be 100% categorically true in all instances based on the statements. I like to think of it as something just beneath that 100% threshold: as strongly supported as possible by the facts.

The prior sentence is the key. The correct answer will tie together all the premises provided in the passage into a logical conclusion. In a pure Inference question, in which we are asked to find the fact that must be 100% valid, the answer can be based on any single line in the passage. As long as the answer must be categorically true, it is correct.


What makes E “strongly supported” by the facts is that we are told that an estimated 1 in 5 over the age of 30 has a hurt back that shows no chronic pain symptoms. Then, we are told if chronic pain later develops it is generally caused by a weakening of the abdominal/spinal muscles, which is itself generally caused by not enough exercise.

Thus, the facts tells us that if chronic pain develops later in life for this group or people, then, in general, insufficient exercise may be the ultimate cause.

For these people over the age of 30 with a hurt back and showing no chronic pain, there should be an effective strategy to prevent the weakening of the abdominal/spinal muscles and it’s corresponding effect of chronic pain: exercising these muscles so there is no deterioration in the first place.

If insufficient exercise is what generally brings about this chronic pain later in life, then we have a strong basis to conclude that SUFFICIENT exercise could be enough to prevent the deterioration of the abdominal/spinal muscles, which itself generally leads to the onset of chronic pain for these hurt people.

Thus, the facts do provide good support for the claim made in answer (E): that there is a strategy that can be effective in delaying the onset of chronic pain (a strategy of sufficient exercise of the core area).

Furthermore, answer E seems to “tie together” the passage into a logical conclusion, which is “strongly supported” by the facts.

There are two issues with C, in my opinion. First, the answer is more along the lines of a fact. It certainly doesn’t seem to “tie in” all the premises in the passage in a way that we can say the passage most strongly supports C.

More importantly, we really don’t have a strong basis (given the premises) to opine on whether people experience any kind of mild or fleeting pain at the time of the initial back injury. The passage is focused on chronic pain: when this chronic pain shows up and the potential causes for it appearing later in life. We can not say whether someone experiences some sort of mild pain when she first damages her back. Maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t.

It took me a while to see the difference between the 2 question types. It’s a subtle difference, but it makes all the difference in the world when answering the question.

Look up a bunch of good “Inference” questions from good sources. Then, look at the different answers for each question stem type. By following this course, only then was I able to see the difference.

Hopefully something was helpful?


Edit: Apologies, I tortured the facts from the passage in my first post. Answering from a phone is probably not the smartest idea.

Again, apologies for the mistake.



Posted from my mobile device

[quote="Bunuel"]Chronic back pain is usually caused by a herniated or degenerated spinal disk. In most cases the disk will have been damaged years before chronic pain develops, and in fact an estimated one in five people over the age of 30 has a herniated or degenerated disk that shows no chronic symptoms. If chronic pain later develops in such a case, it is generally brought about by a deterioration of the abdominal and spinal muscles caused by insufficient exercise.

The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? WE NEED TO FIND SOMETHING THAT IS MENTIONED IN THE PASSAGE AND SUPPORTS THE PASSAGE IN BEST WAY.

(A) Four out of five people over the age of 30 can be sure they will never develop chronic back pain. - THE PASSAGE TALKS ABOUT 1/5 , WE ARE NOT SURE ABOUT OTHERS .

(B) People who exercise their abdominal and spinal muscles regularly are sure to be free from chronic back pain. - LETS KEEP THIS OPTION FOR NOW

(C) Patients rarely suffer even mild and fleeting back pain at the time that a spinal disk first becomes herniated or degenerated. - WE CAN ASSUME THIS TO BE TRUE ... PASSAGE SAYS In most cases the disk will have been damaged years before chronic pain develops. WHICH MEANS IN MOST CASES PEOPLE WILL NOT KNOW AS THEY DONT FEEL ANY PAIN . SO WE CAN ASSUME THAT IN SOME / RARE CASES PEOPLE WILL FEEL THE MILD PAIN. KEEP IT FOR NOW

(D) Doctors can accurately predict which people who do not have chronic back pain will develop it in the future. - PASSAGE DOSENT MENTION ANY SUCH LINES ABOUT DOCTOR , THE PAIN ALSO GOES UNNOTICED AS PER PASSAGE SO DOC IS NOT GOD/SPINAL DISK, WHICH REFUSES TO TELL THE BODY THAT 'HEY LOOK I AM DAMAGED '.

(E) There is a strategy that can be effective in delaying or preventing the onset of pain from a currently asymptomatic herniated or degenerated spinal disk.LAST LINES LOOK AS IF THIS COULD BE OUR WINNER BUT WE ARE NOT SURE IF EXERCISE WILL FOR SURE PREVENT PAIN . THE PASSAGE SAYS THE DELAY CAN BE DONE IF SOMEONE EXERCISES .

so among B and C . B is a bit weak because it uses strong words like SURE TO BE FREE . The passage doesnt mentions this .

Hence winner is C.

Why is E the answer? Nothing in the stimulus suggests that such a strategy exists.

“Chronic pain” is different from “mild and fleeting pain.”

We are told that 1 in 5 do not feel the CHRONIC pain until much later, after the damage is done.

From this, we can not infer that these people do not at least feel some mild and fleeting pain at the time the damage occurs. Maybe they do know they hurt it, but don’t feel the chronic pain until much later, as the passage tells us.

We do not have any basis to support the claim that they rarely feel mild pain at the time of damage.


I believe C goes a little too far.



Posted from my mobile device

I still do not understand, why C is wrong and E is right

Even i opted for C however i guess what theya are intending is that if exercise is carriesd out where chronic pain has not happened by strengthening the muscles before it becomes a chronic disease

The question stem might be a little confusing. This is an inference question as the argument lacks a conclusion. Therefore, we need to pick the answer which can be best inferred from the premises provided in the argument.

The paragraph is self explanatory, so let us tackle C and E, the options that are the source of confusion.

(C) Patients rarely suffer even mild and fleeting back pain at the time that a spinal disk first becomes herniated or degenerated.
Let us refer to the part of the para that could clear the confusion or that would further create tangled web of information.
In most cases the disk will have been damaged years before chronic pain develops: This means, in very rare cases, the chronic pain will develop at the time that a spinal disk first becomes herniated or degenerated.
But the option very subtly changes chronic pain to mild and fleeting pain. There is nothing in para that suggests or supports the conclusion that even fleeting pains are rare. It may just be possible that in most cases, the patients have felt mild and fleeting pain initially and that never returns thereafter.

(E) There is a strategy that can be effective in delaying or preventing the onset of pain from a currently asymptomatic herniated or degenerated spinal disk.
Let us again check the para for some information.
If chronic pain later develops in such a case, it is generally brought about by a deterioration of the abdominal and spinal muscles caused by insufficient exercise: Clearly if these patients were doing regular exercises, there was a possibility that the chronic pain would not have started.
This option too uses words 'can' and 'delaying' to talk of the possibility to avoid chronic pain.
It is surely supported by the para.

E
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(A) Four out of five people over the age of 30 can be sure they will never develop chronic back pain.
The idea isn't definitive we have no clue as of it applies to the particular demographic it's speaking about


(B) People who exercise their abdominal and spinal muscles regularly are sure to be free from chronic back pain.
This is viable option one of the many trap answers it's not a sufficient condition there is a ever so small chance it might be that people can catch the same disease even after committing the exercise


(C) Patients rarely suffer even mild and fleeting back pain at the time that a spinal disk first becomes herniated or degenerated.
Never a possible explanation however intial phase there might be no pain however the final phase do not allow a free fall without pain


(D) Doctors can accurately predict which people who do not have chronic back pain will develop it in the future.
Completely out of context doctors are only introduced in the final phase


(E) There is a strategy that can be effective in delaying or preventing the onset of pain from a currently asymptomatic herniated or degenerated spinal disk.
yes exactly the answer we were hunting for it's stated in the final lines if exercise was carried out there was ever so slight chance that it would have delayed hence IMO E

Straightaway option E.

Chronic back pain is usually caused by a herniated or degenerated spinal disk. In most cases the disk will have been damaged years before chronic pain develops, and in fact an estimated one in five people over the age of 30 has a herniated or degenerated disk that shows no chronic symptoms. If chronic pain later develops in such a case, it is generally brought about by a deterioration of the abdominal and spinal muscles caused by insufficient exercise.

The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following?

(A) Four out of five people over the age of 30 can be sure they will never develop chronic back pain.

(B) People who exercise their abdominal and spinal muscles regularly are sure to be free from chronic back pain.

(C) Patients rarely suffer even mild and fleeting back pain at the time that a spinal disk first becomes herniated or degenerated.

(D) Doctors can accurately predict which people who do not have chronic back pain will develop it in the future.

(E) There is a strategy that can be effective in delaying or preventing the onset of pain from a currently asymptomatic herniated or degenerated spinal disk.

I see B and E worthy contenders.

In the passage the last line is the conclusion. Note that it is conditional in nature. Thus, there is still some uncertainty about that conclusion to hold as it states things in general. Now, B falls for it to mention absence of pain in sure manner, which is unlikely to be concretely true. Even if people exercise regularly, there might be some who may be witnessing pain. 'People' shows people in general, so there might be some people who might be doing regularly only because they are having pain.

On the other hand, E is written in such a way that it broadens(similar to 'generally') the scope. If people, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, do exercise regularly then they may delay the onset of pain.

C changes the degree of pain as mentioned in the passage.

Answer E.
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