An epidural is a nerve blocker and an effective method of pain relief. Learn more about the benefits and risks of an epidural and alternative options available. Doctors use epidural injections to relieve pain during and after surgery, as well as to manage chronic pain that often stems from a pinched nerve. This procedure isn’t right for every case. But. An epidural is an injection near your spinal cord. It’s a way to give you anesthesia for surgery or labor pain. They can also deliver steroids for back pain. Learn what an epidural is, how an epidural needle is used, how long it lasts, and understand its side effects, risks, pain, and possible back problems. Epidural anesthesia is regional anesthesia that blocks pain in a particular region of the body. The goal of an epidural is to provide analgesia, or pain relief, rather than anesthesia, which leads to a total lack of feeling. Epidurals block the nerve impulses from the lower spinal segments. An epidural is an injection in your back to stop you feeling pain in part of your body, commonly given for pain relief in childbirth and in some types of surgery. An epidural is a catheter (thin, bendy tube) that’s inserted between the vertebrae in your back that delivers — you guessed it — pain-relieving medication. The medication is a local anesthetic, which can numb the nerves in your lower body. So, yes, epidurals can relieve pain. An epidural is an injection of pain-relieving medication into a small space in your spine called the epidural space. It blocks pain signals from traveling through the nerves in that area, numbing part of your body while you stay awake and alert. An epidural is a pain relief method commonly used in childbirth and during/after surgery. A fine tube is placed in your back to deliver local anaesthetic and other pain relief drugs. It blocks nerve messages, providing pain relief and sometimes causing numbness. Epidural administration involves the placement of a catheter into the epidural space, which may remain in place for the duration of the treatment. The technique of intentional epidural administration of medication was first described in 1921 by the Spanish Aragonese military surgeon Fidel Pagés.