π ββοΈ Don't Listen To This Advice
(5-minute read) Elon Musk is many things. A spinal savant is not one of them.
If You Have Serious Back Painβ¦
There are a multitude of reasons why that might be the case.
In the fitness/physical therapy world, this is called multifactorial pain.
The prevalence of low back pain in particular, though, is rising, with roughly 10% of Americans experiencing it.
That number is rising and is predicted to rise further with the influence of technology and an economy that increasingly focuses on seated work.
What can we do about this?
Well, the simple answer is to move more.
Bodily function and consistent movement have a direct relationshipβthe more you move (usually), the less pain you experience over time.
So, it shouldnβt be any surprise that more people are in pain due to an economy and environment that emphasizes less movement.
But Iβm in Serious pain, Fran.
Okay, there will be pain that movement alone may not fix.
Physical therapy and medication(s) with proper prescriptions may also remedy specific, more severe pains.
In these cases, itβs important not to treat your pain like a death sentence.
This means managing emotions around pain.
Regardless of the intensity of your pain, the story you tell yourself about it matters. Like, a lot.
Research from the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that emotions and feelings are βintegral to the conceptualizationβ of our pain.
In other words, patients who, in essence, called themselves βbrokenβ or let their pain define them as βbeaten up, old, and rustyβ had worse pain manifestations than those who approached pain with a more optimistic mindset.
In short β regardless of where you are with managing any pain, do as much as you possibly can to not let yourself slip into a self-deprecating spell.
Back to Back Pain β Elon Muskβs Terrible Tweet
I know theyβre called βpostsβ now, but I couldnβt pass up that alliteration.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, X, and many other companies is objectively one of the most prolific geniuses of our time.
Heβs pioneered the electric vehicle push, plans space expeditions to Mars, and is an authority on about anythingβ¦ related to technology.
The issue with him owning an entire social media platform is that his posts as CEO reflect a sort of influential power that I donβt think many people think critically about.
Posts that he reposts, replies to, and comments on are amplified.
His cult following views his opinions as dogma. He is someone who can do no wrong, no matter the subject matter.
I believe he knows this, which is why his post about back pain from two weeks ago seemed irresponsible.
I get the intention behind it.
Heβs trying to help, sure.
But because of the multifactorial nature of back pain (meaning it doesnβt just come from being seated or inactive), we canβt just bandage up the issue of back pain with surgery.
There is too much nuance behind pain β especially when you consider that everyone has different levels of pain tolerance β to suggest that an artificial disc fixes everything.
Why canβt we address the root cause first?
This feels a lot like how doctors currently prescribe medicine and why health startups are racing to be the most informative sources of information for those who want to be proactive about their health.
As proactive health geeks, we should address the pain's cause rather than patching it up, only for it to reappear later.
The idea that surgery is a better option than seeking all the holistic (and probably more affordable) options first is a bit foolish to me, and irresponsible of Musk to post to his millions of followers.
An Uphill Battle for Health Professionals
Now, because of this post, millions will likely think surgery is a better option than actual movement for pain.
Never mind his βfree speechβ platform β most of the more sensible replies to his thesis were buried deep beneath the memes, the replies in agreement, and the shitposts.
This means that health coaches, therapists, and trainers like myself have to work even harder to prove to people that there are more rewarding and easier ways to manage pain.
We spend a lot of time arguing amongst ourselves on the internet, but weβd do well to unite against outrageous takes like this in an effort to bring real effort back to pain management.