How do doctors make predictions of how long someone will live or if they’ll ever walk normally again?

Question

I was rewatching an old video on YouTube and the guy was able to walk again after 10 months of practicing yoga and losing 140 lbs. If no one on earth can exactly predict when someone will die or if they’ll be able to walk again, how and why do doctors come up with these predictions?

https://youtu.be/qX9FSZJu448

In: Mathematics

Answer 1

From my experience as a physician, I’ve found that predictions regarding longevity with a disease or return of function after a disability are rarely correct. We can say what other people similar to the person have experienced but it is an imperfect prediction at best. I don’t speculate on this kind of thing unless the patient is insistent that I come up with a number or a “yes or no” answer. When I see posts about “The dOCtER said I’ll NeVeR WaLk AgAIn“ I often shake my head because I know that the doctor was probably forced to make a prediction because that’s the misconception perpetuated by the dramas on TV.