Some doctors looking for alternatives to opioids to treat back pain are using an injectable drug that carries risks of injury and complications, according to The New York Times.

The anti-inflammatory drug, Depo-Medrol, is approved for injection into muscles and joints. Doctors may legally use it in other ways, and some are injecting it close to the spinal cord for back and neck pain. Pfizer, which makes the drug, received hundreds of complaints about injuries and complications related to the shots, including blindness, stroke, paralysis and even death, the article notes. The company asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban Depo-Medrol shots for back pain five years ago. The FDA did not issue a ban, but strengthened the warning on the label.

The number of Medicare providers giving steroid injections along the spine, including Depo-Medrol, increased 13 percent from 2012 to 2016. Total sales of brand name and generic Depo-Medrol increased 35 percent from 2015 to 2017.