Post-menopausal women, treated with epidural steriod shots for relief from backache, suffered significant bone density loss in their hip, says a study.  Bone density loss after six months was six times greater when compared to the typical bone density loss seen in a year in a post-menopausal woman who doesn’t receive steroid injection, according to researchers. 

An epidural shot involves the passage of painkilling drugs into the small of your back via a fine tube, numbing the concerned part and providing you with effective pain relief, the journal Spine reported.

Shlomo Mandel, a Henry Ford Hospital orthopaedic physician, who led study, says physicians should exercise caution prescribing an epidural steroid for select patients, suggesting that multiple injections may compromise bone strength, according to a Henry Ford statement.