Passage Summary: Many people have damaged spinal disks without feeling any pain, but they often start hurting later if their muscles get weak from not exercising enough.

Reasoning: Chronic back pain stems from disk damage, but that damage often exists without pain until lack of exercise causes muscle weakness that triggers the symptoms.

Analysis: Since we are looking for what is most strongly supported, we must synthesize the provided facts into a logical inference. The stimulus establishes that disk damage is a prerequisite for pain, but muscle deterioration is the actual trigger for symptoms in many cases. Therefore, it is highly likely that maintaining muscle strength through exercise can prevent chronic pain even in individuals who already have disk damage. Look for an answer that connects the dots between exercise, muscle health, and the suppression of symptoms.