A back ache is a terrible thing. But a potentially deadly case of fungal meningitis is even worse.
One of many ways doctors treat chronic back pain is a steroid injection into the spine. It’s generally an effective way to reduce – or at least mask – the pain associated with many chronic (and often undiagnosed) back problems.
Unfortunately, that treatment didn’t go so well for about 14,000 people, who received potentially-tainted steroid injections. Now, health officials are dealing with one of the largest outbreaks of meningitis that the United States has ever seen. Not fun. So far, the outbreak includes more than 250 reported cases of fungal meningitis.
But this blog isn’t about meningitis. It’s about a better approach to treating chronic back pain.
Fortunately, the meningitis outbreak seems to be limited in scope. The contaminated shots all came from one pharmacy in Massachusetts and hasn’t spread to anyone who didn’t receive a spinal steroid injection. The bottom line: You’re probably not going to get meningitis by having a steroid injection.
But why have one in the first place? If your back pain is caused by a misaligned spine, then why not fix the problem instead of simply softening the symptoms? There are better ways to deal with pain than an injection.