The same could be said about economist articles behind paywalls; worse than useless as it prevents linking to an article covering it at a different source. Perhaps https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2022/03/three-orthopae... or https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/article/h... instead

As someone with herniated discs, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and scoliosis for decades, who's already had surgery but still got worse... what else even is there besides more surgery?

I can't wave a magic wand and just put more space between my discs... that's the only thing that's going to ease off my pain as far as I'm aware.

This is a huge problem in US health care financing: we have a fee-for-service model, no price transparency, and a consumer base (insulated from a lot of the costs of procedures by indirect payment through employer-provided insurance) conditioned to think procedures are inherently good. We waste billions annually on procedures that shouldn't be delivered at all.

I'm fond of pointing out the stat (true as of a year ago) that Massachusetts (I think it's MA?) has more MRI machines than the entire country of Canada.

As someone who's going to the doctor next week to discuss potential shoulder surgery, this is timely.

I really need to figure out whether it's going to make things better or worse, but unfortunately, that feels like something a doctor can't guarantee one way or the other.

Any anecdotes or other experiences/thoughts are appreciated.

Well, sample size of 1 but a family member was in debilitating pain all the time until they had a couple vertebrae fused. They can walk and life is mostly normal for them now.