Steven Tyler Returns to Rehab

Aerosmith frontman back in treatment to address pain management and painkiller addiction

By Natalie Finn Dec 23, 2009 2:09 AMTags
Steven TylerAP Photo/Robert E. Klein

Steven Tyler needs more than time to get healthy.

The Aerosmith frontman has checked into rehab for the second time in as many years, again to address chronic pain he suffers from all the wear and tear that rocking out has caused him over the years.

"With the help of my family and team of medical professionals, I am taking responsibility for the management of my pain and am eager to be back on the stage and in the recording studio with my bandmates Joe Perry, Joey Kramer, Tom Hamilton and Brad Whitford," Tyler said in a statement.

"I love Aerosmith; I love performing as the lead singer in Aerosmith," he adds. "I am grateful for all of the support and love I am receiving and am committed to getting things taken care of."

It's a good thing the band didn't really break up then.

Not helping Tyler's bid to avoid pain-med addiction or Aerosmith's bid to maintain its hard-core image, the 61-year-old Tyler broke his shoulder in August when he fell off a stage while performing in South Dakota.

The band ultimately scrapped the remainder of its tour, and rumors arose not long afterward that the rest of Aerosmith planned to move on without its lead singer.

Tyler entered rehab in May 2008, purportedly to recuperate from a series of operations he had on his feet. Because of the intense pain, he figured round-the-clock oversight of his recovery was the best choice in order to manage his treatment, considering his history of drug abuse.

"My family and I are in complete support of my dad's decision to seek treatment," daughter Liv Tyler told People, which first reported the rehab rerun. "He is a courageous man. We love him and are so proud that he is getting help to balance his pain management, not just for himself but for his family, friends and fans."

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Her dad may have never obtained (traditionally) hunky status, but Liv Tyler more than qualifies for our Hottest Hollywood Moms gallery.