“I have heard the anesthesia given during C-section can later cause back pain. Is it true?”
I am a 27 year old and I am currently 5 months pregnant. Due to certain reasons the doctor has said I will need a c-section. I have heard that a C-section can result in back pain later in life due to the anesthesia used. Is that true?
9 Answers
Studies indicate that spinal anesthesia is very unlikely to cause back pain. Talk to your physician anesthesiologist about your risks though
Pain resulting from the effects of the pregnancy is much more likely a cause. An epidural/spinal is quite unlikely to cause you any long term pain issues
Not likely. C sections are usually done with spinal or epidural anesthesia. The only possibility for pain from the anesthetic would be due to bruising at the site of injection which would cause local tenderness that would resolve like any bruise after several days. There have never been any case reports of long term back injury from spinal or epidural anesthesia. In fact, epidurals are commonly used to treat low back pain caused by disc disease or spinal stenosis
It is well known that 50% of pregnant women develop chronic low back pain after vaginal or cesarean delivery, and that spinal and epidural anesthetics do not alter that incidence. Consult a physical therapist to learn the proper exercises to improve the strength of your core and your back muscles in order to prevent low back pain.
Hello,
If a spinal is performed in a proper manner by a trained professional, it should not create any issues with back pain. Spinals are the safest anesthetic for a pregnant mother and child. The principal of a spinal is to insert a very thin needle into a space that contains fluid which surrounds the spinal nerves and deposit a small amount of local anesthetic. The greatest risk is a spinal headache which is minimized by using a small tapered needle.
Congratulations and best of luck.
Dr Ketch
If a spinal is performed in a proper manner by a trained professional, it should not create any issues with back pain. Spinals are the safest anesthetic for a pregnant mother and child. The principal of a spinal is to insert a very thin needle into a space that contains fluid which surrounds the spinal nerves and deposit a small amount of local anesthetic. The greatest risk is a spinal headache which is minimized by using a small tapered needle.
Congratulations and best of luck.
Dr Ketch
If you are referring to spinal or epidural anesthesia, the research does not support this claim. Many pregnant women have back pain related to the weight gain and changes in ligament laxity due to pregnancy. Back pain is a common complaint among all groups, regardless of whether someone has had a spinal or epidural anesthetic.
Generally, this is not true. Most often, epidural anesthesia in combination with sedation is utilized. At times, general anesthesia is required. There may be headache and/or residual back pain and some numbness after the procedure, generally these resolve in 3-5 weeks. Please check with your OB-GYN and make sure you meet with your anesthesiologist prior to your procedure to go over questions you may have.
Very rare, due to multiple unsuccessful epidural or spinal analgesia.
Not really true. People often have back pain during pregnancy. Anesthetic itself doesn't cause any future problems
