Shots of the steroid preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate, which has been linked to the meningitis outbreak, has become a common way to treat the pain. Roughly 14,000 people may have received contaminated shots of the steroid, which came from the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. In Maryland, 22 people have been sickened and one died.
Pain doctors around the country have heard from patients afraid to get the steroid shots, Webster said. Many may switch to oral pain killers. While he said the fear is justified, the medical industry has to be careful of moving too far to the extreme, he said.
The chiropractic industry is using the outbreak to advocate for more conservative, less invasive approaches to treating back pain, including yoga, acupuncture and, of course, chiropractic care.