If you’ve ever been in labor, or know someone who has, you’ve heard of an epidural. The term is an adjective that has also become a noun, describing one of the most common analgesic procedures available in modern medicine.
But epidurals are used widely and effectively outside of the delivery room as well. Decades of practice, refinement of the tools and drugs used in the procedure, and significant amounts of research have shown epidurals to be a safe and effective way of easing severe pain associated with childbirth, chronic back pain, surgery, and more.
Nevertheless, plenty of people are understandably leery of the idea of a needle being jabbed into their spine without fully understanding where exactly that needle goes, or how the drugs administered during the procedure are supposed to work. Here’s the backstory on epidurals.
