The American Pregnancy Association states that the majority of women who give birth in hospitals have epidural analgesia (also known as an epidural block) to relieve pain during labor and delivery. An anesthesiologist injects the medication into...
Cesarean sections (c-sections) comprise around 30 percent of births in the United States, the Nemours Foundation reports. All cesarean sections, like any other major surgery, are done under anesthesia. Anesthesia for cesareans falls into two...
Epidural anesthesia is a frequent choice of pain relief for women in labor. During this procedure, a needle is inserted into the epidural space of the spine and an anesthetic medication is injected via a small catheter that remains in the back....
Epidurals provide pain relief in a variety of circumstances, including spinal or genital surgery, but are most commonly associated with labor and birth. According to the American Pregnancy Association, over 50 percent of women giving birth choose...
After observation and assessment of chronic back pain, a doctor may recommend a lumbar epidural for relieving pain and inflammation. This treatment is only temporary but it may be all that is necessary to relieve a patient of their pain. Other...
According to the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, anesthesiologists currently use epidural anesthesia, either alone or in conjunction with other methods, to provide intra- and post-operative pain control for a variety of...
The membrane that covers the spinal cord and nerve roots is called the dura membrane. The space that surrounds the dura is called the epidural space. This is the area where the needle is inserted and anti-inflammatory medication or steroids are...
A cervical epidural steroid injection is a treatment option for pain caused by irritated or inflamed spinal nerves. It is an injection of steroids into the cervical epidural space. In a 2007 review article in Spine, researchers found that cervical...
In the United States, doctors deliver 32 percent of babies -- nearly one out of every three births -- through cesarean deliveries, according to 2007 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As a form of surgery, cesarean...
A spinal headache, or postdural puncture headache, is a common side effect experienced after an attempted epidural injection. It occurs when the dura, or the tissue surrounding the spinal cord, is punctured and cerebral spinal fluid leaks into the...
Patients with chronic neck pain may find relief from uncomfortable symptoms after treatment with a cervical epidural steroid injection. During this treatment, a doctor injects a corticosteroid medication directly into the epidural space in the...
When you go into labor, you can generally choose which type of pain relief you want administered to help relieve the pain of contractions and childbirth. You can opt to have a natural delivery without medication, narcotics to take the edge off of...
Degenerative arthritis of the spine can be a significant disability, mainly because it can affect any level, or multiple levels, of the spinal column, from the neck to the tail bone. There are many different treatment approaches to this problem,...
Epidural anesthesia is administered through a catheter in the back to provide pain relief during labor and delivery. Many women find this a less stressful way to give birth. However, some possible long-term side effects are associated with...
Epidural anesthesia is used to provide pain relief for women in labor. Epidurals are also administered for herniated discs pain relief and other injuries.Typically, a needle is inserted into the spine and an anesthetic medication medication is...
