Epidural injections are a form of epidural anesthesia that is used to numb the lower half of your body. They can be used for surgical or labor epidurals, epidural blocks, and epidural infusions. Epidurals work by blocking pain signals from going up to your brain. This provides you with relief from back pain and other pains caused by childbirth. Epidurals also allow you to stay awake so that you will feel more in control during the delivery process. If epidurals are not administered correctly, they can lead to permanent nerve damage which would make it difficult for you to walk or move independently because there would be no feeling in the lower half of your body! Learn more here.

Epidural injections use a needle inserted through an opening near the part of your spine called the epidural space. It is usually done while lying on your side with hips supported at about a 45-degree angle using pillows under both knees (to prevent pressure on the epidural needle site). Learn more about Epidural injections: What They Treat.

Epidural injections are usually given as a “walking epidural” which is an injection that blocks sensation in your lower body and allows you to walk around, or as “an upper block” which only numbs the feeling from your belly button up.

Epidurals can be administered with either local anesthetic (numbing medication injected into tissues near nerves), epidural anesthesia (a combination of both pain medication and numbing medicine put through the tube to numb other areas of your body), or general anesthesia (painkiller drugs plus medicines that make you sleep).

It’s important to mention here that any patient who has had spinal surgery will not be able to have an epidural because it could cause nerve damage.