From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Epidural anesthesia is a procedure in which a port is placed close to the spinal cord in the lumbar region of the spine. Common anesthetics such as pethadin are then injected in small doses in order to remove all feeling from that point down on the patients body, resulting in short term paralysys.
This is very commonly used during child birth in which a women does not want to endure pain. The birth may be made harder by the fact that the mother-to-be cannot tell when she is experiencing a contraction (hence not knowing when to push) or even if she needs to urinate. Births with an epidural often involve the use of forceps.
Less common is Spinal anesthesia which actually penetrates the spinal wall.
