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You may have heard of the pain-relieving injection that some pregnant women get during childbirth. But it also has other uses. This injection is given into the epidural space, located just outside the membrane that protects the spinal cord. Doctors use epidural injections to relieve pain during and after surgery, as well as manage chronic pain.1. Epidural nerve block
This is the range where an anesthetic is usually injected during surgery to numb the spinal nerves and prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. The drug takes effect in just 10 to 20 minutes. However, the amount of medicine delivered through a small tube that goes near the spine always delivers the medicine non-stop so that no pain is felt during surgery.
When injecting into the epidural, the needle will have to go through the skin, muscle, fat, and ligaments, unfortunately causing tissue damage and possibly back pain. These disadvantages can be overcome with the use of suitable injection equipment.
In fact, you probably won't feel any pain in your lower body and you can still walk around with help. For these reasons, doctors often recommend the use of an epidural nerve block when a woman chooses to have anesthesia during childbirth.
Side effects of spinal anesthesia injections include decreased blood pressure, difficulty urinating, and headache. Rare complications include bleeding in the epidural space, nerve damage, and infection.
Gây tê tủy sống gây tác dụng phụ là đau đầu
2. Epidural injection
Some epidural injections are done with different medications including steroids to relieve pain and inflammation in the back, neck, arms, or legs.
The doctor will use an X-ray along with a special dye to insert the needle in the right place. The location of choice is along the spine from the bottom of the neck to the spine closest to the nerve that causes pain.
Conditions where an epidural is injected include:
Pinched nerve Pain radiating from the spine Disc herniation Spinal stenosis The procedure can take as little as 15 minutes and the numbing part of the injection can take as little as 15 minutes. can get up and running pretty quickly. The amount of time pain relievers work varies from person to person. This type of injection does not always provide pain relief. But if it does, its effects can last up to a few months.
Doctors may also use an epidural to find the source of the pain. In this case, the injection will target a specific nerve to help relieve pain.
A common side effect is that you may feel more pain until the medicine starts working. Rarer side effects including bleeding, temporary numbness or weakness, infection, headache, or nerve damage may also occur.
Thoát vị đĩa đệm được tiêm ngoài màng cứng
3. Who should not inject an epidural?
There are certain situations where an epidural is at risk, these are:
Allergy to the anesthetic People with blood clotting problems Infections Uncontrolled diabetes Certain other medications are Depending on the situation, your doctor may look for an alternative pain reliever, or may need to wait until a better time for the procedure.
Chống chỉ định thực hiện đối với bệnh nhân tiểu đường không kiểm soát được
4. The effect of epidural anesthesia
Back shots can help treat two main back pain problems:
Inflammation or nerve damage, often in the neck or low back. Doctors call this radiation sickness. The problem stems from the spinal nerves. With radiculopathy, the pain manifests as sharp shooting from the lower back down one or both legs, or from the neck into the arms. A herniated disc can also cause radiculopathy. Spinal stenosis, which means the spine is narrow, can occur because a herniated disc is pressing on the spine, a bone spur is protruding into that space, or it can also be a tumor. pressure on the spine. Spinal stenosis compresses the nerves inside, causing pain in the buttocks or legs. The pain from spinal stenosis may be worse with activity and relieved by leaning forward. Doctors also use back injections for other types of back pain. Sometimes, they also use them to help find the cause of pain sensations.
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Article reference source: webmd.com
