Epidurals

John Bonica was a pioneer and stalwart figure in pain medicine but he did not discover the epidural. Epidural anesthesia and analgesia had been around for many years. It is difficult to pinpoint who 1st described the technique. The 1st use came at the turn of the 20th century when numerous people attempted epidurals for surgical procedures but were met by failure. Over many years articles were published describing "caudal" anesthesia and analgesia which is a cousin to epidurals. Continuous "caudals" were 1st used in the 1940's where the needle would be left in patients for a period of time and a drip of local anesthetic infused into them.

Dr. Bonica has many achievements and is credited with the 1st obstetric epidural in the Pacific NW. His wife nearly died in childbirth from open drop ether anesthesia and for the birth of his 2nd child Dr. Bonica placed an epidural into his own wife.

very rare but possible yes

No. The medication is assimilated (absorbed) by the body. The amount of time it takes to absorb depends on the type of medication being administered. The amount of relief provided depends not only on the type of medication, but the amount, and the condition being treated. Do not forget about individual physiology. No two people react identically to the same treatement.

By definition an epidural is a shot that goes into the epi-outmost, dura- part of the spinal cord. In simple terms it is a long needle place between your back bones into the edge of the spinal column. An IV is place intravenously; meaning in the veins. There is medication for pain that can be given IV if one does not want and epidural. However, medication given in the blood stream may affect unborn children whereas medication in the spinal column does not.

Epidural analgesia, sometimes called an epidural block, causes some loss of feeling in the lower areas of your body, yet you remain awake and alert. An epidural block may be given soon after your contractions start, or later as your labor progresses. An epidural block with more or stronger medications (anesthetics, not analgesics) can be used for a cesarean delivery or if vaginal birth requires the help of forceps or vacuum extraction. Your doctors will work with you to determine the proper time to give the epidural.

An epidural block is given in the lower back into a small area (the epidural space) below the spinal cord. You will be asked to sit or lie on your side with your back curved outward and to stay this way until the procedure is completed. You can move when it's done, but you may not be allowed to walk around.

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Please recheck your spelling to ensure word is spelled correctly. I will add to my watchlist. very respectfully

Head swelling, asperation,as well as sudden urge to quit playing (for children),

They typically won't do any more than 9 total epidurals (that includes multiple injections for the same problem) per year due to the effects steroids have on the body and bones. Usually if you're that bad, they'll start looking at other alternatives anyway.

Assuming the problem can be handled with them, Facet injections use less amounts of steroids and are more effective since the procedure is targeted using a Fluoroscope (real-time X-ray machine) and catheter needle to target the problem disk. The pain is about the same, but it doesn't last as long as an epidural, since the needles aren't as big as steel shanks. If you've never seen the size of the needle they use in an epidural, don't ever ask to see one.

1930's by Dr. Bonica

depends on the hospital and insurance. Mine cost $1300, but it was worth every penny. I fell asleep after I got mine, woke up 4 hours later and gave birth. The trick is to make sure the epidural goes directly in the middle of your spine- if it's too much to the right or the left, you could still have feeling on the other side, so if you need to, help direct the person putting in the epi so it goes right in the middle

Break it down: MC Hammer style

Ventral is for humans front part of the body (ie. the chest, knees, face, etc)

Extra is outside

Dural is having to do with the dura mater, one of the layers of the membranes covering the spinal cord.

So a ventral extradural defect would be some sort of defect (probably a weakness) on the outer boundary between the dura mater and the spinal cord at the belly side of the cord. It could represent anything from changes of aging to a herniated disk to a tumor. The rest of the radiology report, as well as the history and physical, will tell you the medical meaning of this description term.

Not usually, steroidal injections do not typically cause hair loss.

Below is a link to a list of medications that are known and have been reported by their manufacturers to cause hair loss.

Women do not have to wait until they are dilated to a certain level before they can ask for, or receive, an epidural. According to the ASA's (American Society of Anesthesiologists) current guidelines, "patients in early labor should be offered the option of receiving neuraxial analgesia (spinal or epidural) when the service is available, and it should not be withheld to meet arbitrary standards for cervical dilation." If a woman is in active, established labor, and is uncomfortable, epidural analgesia is the most effective method of pain relief. There is no medical reason to wait for a specific dilation target.

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In additioin, some places wont give epidural if you are too advanced in the labour as the baby could theoretically be born before the epidural is administered and kicks in so there is little point.

I have had 3 kids & 10 epidural's all together & the back pain is coming from that. The doctor should have told you that getting an epidural could cause back pains in your future. After my 1st child I had back pains up to a year later.

They are called quintuplets.

There are several options for places you can find videos on giving birth. In your local area there should a local health unit which offers parenting and pregnancy classes. They will have some videos about childbirth. You could also check YouTube, where some users have shared their personal experiences. Another alternative is to check out the BabyCenter website.

Well not necessarily an epidural. You can get a spinal anesthesia instead. You do need an anesthesia for a C-section, or it will be truly painful. You have choices so if you're against an epidural you can choose another anesthesia.

Women of higher socioeconomic status are more likely to have a c-section, 22.9%, compared to 13.2% of women who live in low-income families.

Anepidural is time released meds and it can last as long as your anesthesiologist sets it to, from a few hours to a few days. I had complications with my C-Section, and they left my epidural in for almost 3 days. That is rare, but it was easier to deliver my meds that way since it was already in place, and the easiest way to relieve my pain after the surgery. They hook you up to a little box that is programed to release little amounts of pain relief at a time. When the box is about to run out of meds, a little alarm sounds, and a nurse will "refill it" with more meds.

Some people experience pain with an epidural. I personally did not have any. The anesthesiologist numbs the site before placing the epidural catheter.

Everyone's different, but I did feel it. My anesthesiologist didn't numb the area beforehand, though. They had me sit on the edge of the bed, bend over (as much as is possible at this point!) and during the height of a contraction, inserted the needle quickly. Someone held me in a full nelson, so I couldn't move, even if I wanted to. With this technique, you are experiencing pain in a different area already, and since your brain can't fully focus on one pain only, the new pain, which is the epidural, isn't really felt because you are already focusing on the contraction, so both pains seem to be dulled. Kind of a sensory overload. If you are asking this question because you are afraid of what pain will come with child birth, fear not! Usually by the time they give you the epidural, your contractions are so painful that you will actually beg for the epidural. Not to scare you, but anesthesiologists seem to be in very high demand, so if you want one, I would ask slightly before you feel you need it. You might find you won't need it-- every woman's different. As soon as you get that piece of heaven, also known as an epidural, ALL pain is gone, and you can rest before you need to push. If you opt not to have the epidural, it has been my experience that the pain goes away entirely when you begin to push. Maybe it's the endorphins; I don't know. But I DO know that I am a big crybaby when it comes to pain, and the epidural sounds scarier than it really is. I have had a few kids, and with my second, contractions never got painful at all, and even though I ended up needing a c-section, when they gave my the epidural, it didn't hurt, only a quick pinch. If you have ever had a needle from the dentist, then you've gone through worse! Oh, and after, make sure they remove the tape and the catheter slowly so they don't pull off a layer of skin. The adhesive tends to be a little strong! You'll have enough to deal with after the baby is born; you don't need a scraped up back on top of it. Good luck, you will do great, and you won't even remember it after.

There is no evidence that lower back tattoos cause harm in this situation. Initiating an epidural through the ink of a lower back tattoo will not cause ink to enter the blood stream or the spinal canal, or cause further complications for the mother or baby.

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It is an injection of pain relief directly into the spine. It numbs your legs and lower torso but still enables you to push. It is a shot right into your spine.. I have had one and my suggestion is if you are thinking of having one go ahead with the epidural that way it stays in and you dont have to go through the pain of later getting another shot in your spine..with the epidural they can regulate how much pain medicine you need through the whole delivery An epidural will alleviate ALL PAIN during labor! Pushing is a bit tricky because you are numb from the waist down. You are given the epidural and a "top-up" button to continue pumping in pain relief. I kept this up for ten hours, until it was time to push, then I stopped topping up. By the time my son was born, about two hours later, the numbness had worn off a bit, but still not much pain. I highly recommend the epidural- having pain relief doesn't make you less of a woman or mother or any such nonsense! No pain= no pain!!!! I have been a midwife for 26 years and if a woman wants a natural childbirth I will support her all the way. However some women don't or are advised not to. The epidural shot does not actually go into the spinal cord but into the space around it and most of the time it works very well. Sometimes it can be balanced so you can be painfree but still be able to move. If it is possible that you may need an emergency C-section it just needs to be topped-up. I had an epidural for both my labours because I had high blood pressure. The first time I had a big baby in an awkward position who took a lot of pushing, but I had a normal delivery. The second time with twins I was quite ill but as they were smaller I had a very quick easy labour.

NO, you only feel your pulse in your wrist, the baby's pulse can be heard when you visit the doctor's office, using special equipment.

The anesthetic agents that are infused through the small catheter block spinal nerve roots in the epidural space and the sympathetic nerve fibers adjacent to them.