Yesterday a good friend of my daughter’s, a 20 year-old young man, had back surgery for ongoing back pain.  When he came out of the surgery, he was paralyzed on one side.  They went back in and when he came out the second time, he was paralyzed from the neck down.  Then he went into a coma.

A few weeks before that, the companion of a friend of ours became paralyzed because of complications from several old back surgeries.

When I had a bodywork practice, the most horrific cases I treated were always those of those who had  back surgery.  The worst pain, the most compromised movement.

Our friend, the osteopath Dr. Andy Goldman, says that if only people with back pain would see an osteopath first, often they could avoid the surgery. By the time they come to him after the surgery, it is usually too late.

The web genius Seth Godin wrote this post recently.  (I left in his other tips because they are excellent as well.)

1. No stranger or unknown company will ever contact you by mail or by phone with an actual method for making money easily or in your spare time. And if the person or company contacting you asserts that they are someone you know, double check before taking action.
2. Don’t have back surgery. See a physiatrist first, then exhaust all other options before wondering if you should have back surgery.  (I would suggest an osteopath first, based on my personal experience). 
   
3. Borrow money to buy things that go up in value, but never to get something that decays over time.
4. Placebos are underrated by almost everyone.
5. It’s almost never necessary to use a semicolon.
6. Seek out habits that help you overcome fear or inertia. Destroy those that do the opposite.
7. Cognitive behavorial therapy is generally considered both the quickest and most effective form of addressing many common psychological problems.
8. Backup your hard drive.
9. Get a magnetic key hider, put a copy of your house key in it and hide it really well, unlabeled, two blocks from your house.
10. A rice cooker will save you time and money and improve your diet, particularly if you come to like brown rice.
11. Consider not eating wheat for an entire week. The results might surprise you.
12. Taking your dog for a walk is usually better than whatever alternative use of your time you were considering.