Pain in spine following Epidural

[Grommit]

I had a C-sec 8 weeks ago and this week have a pain like a bruising on my spine where the needle went in- anyone else experienced this?

anyone?

Not me, I'm afraid. Sorry. Did they seem to have trouble getting it in?

I was advised not to have an epidural by several people who experienced back pain afterwards, so I don't think it's that uncommon.

I've not had it, but also heard a few horror stories. It can be permanent, I'm afraid.

I had a bit of back pain after having a spinal but it went after about a week i think.

I had an epidural over a year ago & have since suffered from regular backache. If I stand up for too long then my back aches long before my feet do or my brain!!
I didn't make the connection till about 2 months ago & am going to see an Osteopath asap as my lower back aches also now...sorry, grommit not a very cheery reply just my experience.

I had an epidural nearly 5 years ago with DD1, and I still get pain where the needle went in

My sil had pain after hers. That was one of the reasons I really didn't want to have an epidural.

get to yourGP Grommit. If there is a problem, early intervention might make all the difference

Didn't have an epdiural but I do know several women who still have back pain too... normally you should have received the full list of risks before you got it.
I appreciate that with a casearean your choice is limited !

There has been research into the incidence of low back pain following epidural, but it is the same as the incidence of low back in women post delivery of their baby without any intervention. If there was trauma around siting the needle for the epidural there would have been more significant sypmptoms of pain before 8 weeks. The more likely cause is the changing posture of your body during pregnancy, the stretching of your abdominal postural muscles and the huge increase strain on your back post delivery in looking after your child. If its your first, then its likely to be the first time you've ever had to do these repetitive tasks of bending down, picking up, changing nappies, poor feeding postures etc.... all that along with the added bonus of plenty of relaxin hormone flooding through your body.. present despite of a CS, which makes your ligament support structures really slack. Oh and you've had major surgery. They do cut some muscles.

My advise is exercise. Pilates is excellent. Seek help, eg physio or other musculoskeletal therapists.

I've had 1 epidural, and 2 spinals in my time and 2 CS's. I did have back pain after ds1 (spinal) at around 4mo but got rid of it completely by exercising... carrying him around in his baby bjorn and then a back pack. It just increased my muscular effort enough to strengthen without crippling me and pain was gone within a couple of weeks. I've not had any since. He's now 3yo.

I'm a physio by the way, and dh is an anaesthetist...given plenty of epidurals and spinals in his time.

HTH! Good luck and hope you are painfree soon.

Not that I am dismissing what you said honeybunny, but my mum's neighbour had an epidural 12 years ago, after that you had excrutiating back pain. She went to see her doctor and had tests & x-rays and it was found that because the needle from the epidural had been slightly off where it should have been inserted she will have back trouble for life. This is bad enough that she has been registered disabled.

This put the decision firmly in my mind that no matter how bad my labour was (if I ever had kids that is, as I was only 13 at the time )I would never have an epidural. I have stuck by that and if I ever have another child I will only use gas and air as that is all I had with DS2. Trust me it wasn't a bravery thing though. I didn't believe I was in labour (even though I was in excrutiating pain!!) til I got to the hospital and found out I was 8cm dialated (too late for drugs!!!) So had to brave it out on gas and air (which I can thoroughly recommend! Even offered DP some at the time )

sorry that should have read "after that SHE had...." not you lol

Honeybunny is right - the research is good. I get back pain exactly around the area where the epidural went in - but I've only had it a couple of months and I had ds 2 years and four months ago! I think I can safely say it is due to lugging a lazy great two stones plus of toddler about and hunching over a computer and not doing any exercise. I think the lower back area is extremely vulnerable to back pain so it's not surprising that that's where you feel the pain. I used to get back pain when breastfeeding newborn ds because I'd have to hunch over because I'm quite tall. It got better as he got bigger.
I think there are a lot of horror stories about epidurals but Honey Bunny is the expert.

The connection with back pain and epidurals in normal birth was supposed to be that because of the epidural a woman could labour in a diffcult position for longer with no warning signs that it was harming her back - but that wouldn't apply to a c-section.

Factors associated with back pain after childbirth.

Breen TW, Ransil BJ, Groves PA, Oriol NE.

Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Charles A. Dana Research Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.

BACKGROUND: Back pain after childbirth is a frequent complaint. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of back pain 1-2 months post partum and to identify the factors, including epidural anesthesia for labor and delivery, that may predispose to it. METHODS: Women delivering a viable singleton infant were interviewed 12-48 h after delivery for a history of back pain that occurred before, during, or both before and during the recent pregnancy and for details of their delivery experience. Two months later, the women interviewed were sent a follow-up questionnaire regarding the occurrence of back pain 1-2 months post partum. RESULTS: Follow-up data were available for 1,042 (88%) of the 1,185 women originally interviewed. The incidence of post partum back pain in women who received epidural anesthesia was equivalent to those who did not (44% vs. 45%). Through stepwise multiple logistic regression, post partum back pain was found to be associated with a history of back pain, younger age, and greater weight. However, new-onset post partum back pain was found to be associated with greater weight and shorter stature. No statistically significant association was found between post partum back pain and epidural anesthesia, number of attempts at epidural placement, duration of second stage of labor, mode of delivery, or birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of back pain 1-2 months post partum in this population was 44%. Predisposing factors were a history of back pain, younger age, and greater weight. Predisposing factors for new-onset post partum back pain were greater weight and shorter stature. Epidural anesthesia for labor and delivery did not appear to be associated with back pain 1-2 months post partum.

I know people, too, who have been told by doctors (even paid compensation) for epidurals that caused permanent back pain/tingling. Maybe the Epi would tend to actually reduce the risk, unless they miss and nick the wrong bit of the spinal canal??

Thanks for the research ref Aloha. Hiddenspirit... just because one person had backpain post epidural doesnt mean that you would have that experience too. 100s and 1000s of people have had them without any ill effect at all. My dh places epidurals regularly in his work whether for better pain relief following surgery... or in his days on labour ward. You were lucky to have been able to have a normal delivery without any intervention. Great for you, but other women arent so lucky. Epidurals DO provide excellent pain relief, and as the research says, there was no link to back pain.
Dont rule it out because of scaremongering.

My mum had an epi whilst in labour with mybrother 18 years ago. She still has occasional back pain which she blames fully on the epidural.
I don't see how the pain can be attributed to the epidural. I'm experiencing mild back problems. But I didn't have an epidural. My pain is in the spot you describe and is down to carrying my baby and feeding him without supporting my arm.
I'm wondering whether the pain is a physcological effect on the nervous system. For example - I put ds2 in one of his carriers a few weeks ago and did the buckle up. It trapped my skin and it took a while to undo it. Ever since then if I try to put it on I get a sharp stabbing pain in the same area.

honeybunny, I didn't mean that no-one should have them, just that is my personal choice not to have them

I know my mum's neighbour is only one person and that many thousands of women have epidurals during labour, but I decided then that an epidural wasn't for me.

I fully understand that a lot of women need pain relief during labour (with DS1 I had diamorphine & pethidene) and with DS2 I would have had pain relief had I not been too far on to get it. All I'm saying is that now that I have been through a labour with only gas and air, I would choose only to have that again (if there are any more kids that is!)

Sorry if I sounded self-rightous, it wasn't my intention

No probs Hiddenspirit. Its just a bug bare of mine. Some people are too quick to blame a needle for back pain rather than take into account the other major contributing factors surrounding labour and childcare. Takes the emphasis off "self" when you can blame something else.