“Does a spinal block hurt more than an epidural?”
I am a 35 year old female. I want to know if a spinal block hurts more than an epidural?
3 Answers
No. They both can cause a little discomfort
Greatest variable in the amount of discomfort is the provider’s experience and the patient’s anatomy. A spinal and an epidural are very similar procedures placed most likely in the same location. A spinal goes about 1 cm deeper as it needs to be placed into the intrathecal space, vs. the epidural space. The spinal needle is usually much thinner than an epidural needle. If you understand the measure of Gauges with regard to needle diameter, a spinal needle for a spinal anesthetic is typically a 25 Ga and sometimes a 22 Ga needle. The epidural needle is almost always an 18 Ga needle. In the same hands, and with the same patient, the spinal is most likely less painful. Both are inserted after local is injected into the skin and subcutaneous tissue so it’s possible that you only feel the local injection.
Its almost the same pain. Ok.
