Elon Musk's giving medical advice now.

Yesterday, Elon Musk made a post offering some free medical advice about neck/back pain.

Now, you may be thinking that I hate the fact that someone without any sort of medical degree or background is offering advice on what to do about neck/back pain.

But you’d be wrong.

I’m all for people having an opinion, especially when it’s based on their own experiences. I’d be willing to bet that Elon had a recent disc replacement and he’s feeling a better than we was before having the surgery.

From his perspective, this is EXACTLY what you should do if you’re dealing with neck or back pain.

The good:

There has been some research showing that disc replacement is favorable to a complete fusion.

And another study that showed “patients treated with total lumbar disc replacement for lumbar degenerative disc disease showed highly satisfactory results.”

The unknown:

Disc replacement is a relatively new procedure that still has a lot of unknowns around whether it helps people in the long run.

That same study that showed satisfactory results admitted that “due to the young age of the patients and significant load increase during athletic activities, concerns about the future of the implant remain a matter of debate.”

Beyond the evidence, it’s always important to take a step back and appreciate where our information is coming from. These are the day of the influencers and people with status and recognition (who’s bigger than Elon Musk?) being able to infuse their beliefs into the general public.

I call this “Because Joe says so.”

It works because:

1. Joe Rogan is the OG of influencing public belief around health and wellness. For what it’s worth, I love Joe. But I don’t do everything he says.

2. “Joe says so” rhymes well so I went with Joe rather than Jill. Sorry.

The point here is that we shouldn’t make ANY decision purely based on the fact that someone told us to, let alone someone who doesn’t have any advanced knowledge regarding that topic.

When making decisions, it’s best to combine the most reliable medical facts with your personal values. These include your beliefs, fears, lifestyle, and experiences, and they all play a role in helping you make decisions about your health.

Here’s my formula:

1. What are your values, goals, and priorities?

In the example of the disc replacement, the chances of it helping you are much better if you’re young and don’t plan on doing a ton of activity. At least that’s what the research says.

But what if you’re middle-aged and love to exercise? Then that may be a different decision for you?

Define your goals first.

2. What does the research say?

You may not know the answer to this. However, you should find someone who does. Sure, there are a TON of newer health and wellness interventions that haven’t been proven yet. Does that mean they can’t help? Definitely not. But when you’re weighing the pros and cons, it’s important to consider what’s been tested and what hasn’t before making a decision.

3. Trust

Do I trust the person giving me this advice and do they have my best interest at heart?

I think we’d like to assume that everyone always does, but is that the reality?

Too often there is an ulterior motive. The used car salesman trying to sell you a car that doesn’t work and you don’t really or want in the first place. Surgeons are compensated for how many surgeries they perform. Doesn’t mean they’re bad people and they don’t care about you, but you should definitely keep that in mind.

Also, nearly all influencers give me the “used car salesman” vibe so I tend to take what they’re saying with a grain of salt and do a little deep diving on my own before pulling the trigger.

4. Risk / Reward

What’s the downside vs upside of the thing I’m considering?

There’s always a ton of risk with surgery. High cost, risk of infection, cutting things out, etc.

I'm biased here but the reason why I help clients through a combination of prescriptive movement, mindset training, and lifestyle modifications is because there’s VERY little (zero?) downside to these things and only benefit.

The worst-case scenario is that if they don’t work, then surgery may be the best option down the road. When that surgery happens, the likelihood of it helping is far greater than compared to if someone hasn’t done any of those things prior. Win - Win.

So in summary, Elon Musk told everyone to have an operation that helped him and it got me thinking.

Those are my thoughts.

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Ryan