Steroids and (neck) injuries

[Help]

I recently sustained a neck injury - a disk herniation pressing on a root nerve at c6. At first, this caused a great deal of pain, which has since subsided. I am now dealing with radiculopathy - numbness, lack of relex and mucle weakness - which may ultimately require surgery.

I have sought treatment from a variety of practitioners over the last few weeks for my condition - GPs, physiotherapists and neurosurgeons. One curious thing is that each and every one of them asked me if I had taken steroids. I haven't but I thought it was curious that they should all ask me this (I have decent muscle, but I'm certainly no bodybuilder).

In any event, does anyone out there have any information about what implications steroid use would have on someone sustaining an injury like mine, or on treatment of such an injury?

I understand that corticosteroids (used to reduce inflammation) can have the effect of weakening your bones with chronic use. Does the same apply to androgenic steroids taken for the purposes of bulking up?

[injuryupdate]

Depends on whether they meant anabolic or corticosteroids? Cortisone injections are commonly used to treat your condition and perhaps they may have been asking whether you had used this treatment yet.