Are epidural injection and spinal anesthesia the same thing?

No, the epidural space is separated from the intrathecal (spinal cord) space by the dura mater. Each space uses different types of needles and different doses of medicine. For the purpose of anesthesia, an epidural catheter is usually inserted and then the drug is injected through the catheter. This requires about 10 times the amount of medicine for the spine, because the nerve is anesthetized at the root after leaving the dura, and you need more capacity to fill the epidural space. Inject the spinal cord below the end of the spinal cord and inject the drug into the spinal fluid. This type of injection requires very little anesthetic and works quickly, but the duration is usually quite short. In theory, the epidural can be placed at any level of the vertebral body, but the level above the middle of the thoracic spine is uncommon. Epidural anesthetics can also be re-administered through a catheter, which is useful for longer surgery and postoperative pain control.

Spinal anesthesia provides anesthesia for surgical operations on the lower body (ie hip surgery, knee surgery). Epidural injections are used to relieve pain in patients with lumbar radiculopathy and/or back pain. However, both spinal anesthesia and epidural injections are placed in an anatomical location called the epidural space.

Epidural injections used for pain relief contain local anesthetics and steroids. They do not give long-acting numbing drugs because they do not want patients to reduce their pressure due to vasodilation, they want them to be able to go home and walk.

Spinal anesthesia may have long-acting numbing drugs, such as bupivacaine or tetracaine, which may add epinephrine to prolong the effect. Sometimes fentanyl is also used, but lidocaine can also be used. The technology is also different.

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