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...
A spinal headache is caused by a leak of the fluid that surrounds the central nervous system -- the brain and spinal cord. While many headaches go away with time, caffeine can improve spinal headache symptoms and increase spinal fluid pressure....
A caffeine infusion may sound like an office joke, but for some people it is prescribed as a treatment for headache. When you have a spinal headache, a type that occurs if you are leaking spinal fluid, oral forms of caffeine can help improve pain...
Safe and appropriate anesthesia is a priority for both patients and their surgeons. While modern anesthesia methods are considered safe and effective, all anesthesia methods carry certain risks. Spinal and epidural anesthesia can trigger a spinal...
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...
The purpose of an epidural injection is pain relief for herniated discs and labor pains. Local anesthetics, commonly referred to as numbing medications, and anti-inflammatory steroids placed into the epidural space during the injection decrease...
Caesarean sections are becoming more common. According to Nemours--the largest children's provider of health care--they account for about 30 percent of all deliveries. During a C-section, a woman may have the option to be "put under" with a...
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...
According to John S. McDonald, MD, chairman of the department of anesthesiology and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA Medical Center, spinal block has emerged as the preferred approach to Cesarean section anesthesia based on the...
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...
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...
An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a procedure intended to alleviate painful symptoms associated with nerve problems in the neck or back. During this procedure, your doctor will place a hollow needle between the vertebrae of your spine. Once...
Epidural anesthesia is a common choice for women in labor. This procedure works by injecting an anesthetic into the epidural space found near the spinal column. The drug is administered via catheter, a small tube, on a continuous basis. Medical...
Epidural anesthesia is a form of regional anesthesia. A catheter is placed into the epidural space which blocks the transmission of nerves by the spinal cord causing a decrease in pain and loss of sensation. A small amount of local anesthetic...
Anesthesiologists use spinal blocks to interrupt pain sensations from the abdomen and legs during gynecologic, urologic, obstetric and some gastrointestinal surgeries. To perform a spinal block, an anesthesiologist injects medications below the...
The lumbar region of the back represents the five vertebrae of the lower back. When you experience lower back pain, inflammation of the lumbar spine is typically to blame. Lumbar steroid injections represent a nonsurgical treatment option designed...
According to the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, spinal block is an anesthetic technique involving the insertion of a needle, sometimes attached to a plastic catheter, into the subarachnoid space surrounding the spinal...
An epidural is a procedure that involves the injection of an anesthetic just outside the fluid-filled space that surrounds the spinal cord, as explained by the National Institutes of Health. This is called the epidural space. Once the injection...
Novocain can be used for dental treatments such as filling cavities or as a spinal anesthetic. It is injected into the spine or the jaw to block the transmission of nerve sensation to the brain. This prevents the patient from realizing pain....
Epidural steroid injections are corticosteroid treatments that are used to control symptoms of inflammation and pain within the arms, legs, back and neck, according to Mayfield Clinic, a Cincinnati-based neurosurgery clinic. The advantage of back...
The side effects of anesthetics depend on the type used and various personal factors. Some risk factors associated with complications include age, cigarette smoking, various medical conditions, and the use of certain medications. Luckily, most...
According to the National Institute of Health, a spinal disc is a sponge-like disc found between each vertebra that acts as a shock absorber. It also helps to prevent spine injury and stabilize proper spine alignment. A herniated disc occurs when...
Migraines are a form of severe headache with pain that can last anywhere from several hours to several days. Migraines appear to come out of nowhere; however, there is usually an onset warning such as seeing a flash of light, called auras, or...
According to the American Headache Society, over 23 million people in the United States suffer from migraine headaches, with females having a higher prevalence than males. Migraine-related disability costs in the U.S. are approximately $13 billion...
Medline Plus defines spinal stenosis as a narrowing of the openings in the bony parts of the spine. Spinal stenosis may occur in the neck (cervical spine) or the lower back (lumbar spine), and may place pressure on nerves as they enter or exit....
Narrowing of the spinal canal because of arthritis or a herniated disc may require surgery if significant symptoms are present. Symptoms such as radiating pain in the arms or legs, major muscle atrophy in the extremities or weakness in the arms or...
Candida is a classification of microorganisms consisting of over 150 species of yeast. Candida albicans is the most common species that can become pathogenic in people. Causes of Candida infection, or candidiasis, include a compromised immune...
There are numerous symptoms associated with cervical spine pain. According to MayoClinic.com, neck pain can be caused by a variety of injuries or conditions, and neck pain can range from mild and irritating to severe and debilitating. Cervical...
The Ohio State University Medical Center states that chronic pain is the most costly health problem plaguing the United States. Chronic pain is pain that lasts for weeks, months and even years. This kind of pain can cause a loss of employment,...
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease where the myelin sheaths, the coverings for the nerves around the central nervous system, become infected. In this video, learn more about MS, its effects on people, and how it may be treated.
Brain cancer is the growth of a tumor cell within the brain. Learn what it is like to be a caregiver for a family member suffering from brain cancer in this disease condition video.
Brain cancer is the growth of a tumor cell within the brain. Learn what it is like to be a caregiver for a family member suffering from brain cancer in this disease condition video.