Millions of Americans each year get steroid injections to alleviate a wide range of acute or chronic aches and pains. The anti-inflammatory effects of steroid injections can treat joint pain, arthritis, sciatica and even inflammatory bowel disease. While steroid injections may provide relief in most cases, even if temporary, a recent study looked at nearly 500 patients with osteoarthritis and found that the pain actually got worse for eight percent of patients. Dr. Hooman Melamed, a Top US Spine Surgeon, joined The Doctors TV show to help educate viewers about the possible damage they may be doing to their joints by undergoing steroid injections. "Now we know steroids are absolutely toxic to the joint," said Dr. Melamed speaking from his decades of experience as a physician. "What you don't realize is that you are masking the problem and, when the effects wear, you're worse off than before you had the steroid." Dr. Melamed recommends to consult your physician or seek a second opinion, about what else can be done to truly address the underlying condition causing the pain.