Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia
Learn about spinal and epidural anesthesia, including how they are done and the risks.
Spinal and Epidural Pain Relief for Childbirth
Spinal and epidural pain relief methods are used to block pain from an entire region of the body. They use numbing medicine given near the spinal cord. They can be used for either a vaginal birth or a cesarean delivery (C-section). They partly or fully numb your belly and lower body.
Spinal and epidural placement for childbirth
An epidural usually involves putting a sterile guide needle and a small tube (epidural catheter) into the space around the spinal cord. (This is called the epidural space.) The catheter is placed at or below the waist. The needle is inserted and removed, while the catheter stays in place. The catheter is taped in place...
Spinal anesthesia
Spinal anesthesia is the injection of medicine near the spinal cord and the nerves around it in the lower back. It is used to numb the body below and sometimes above the site of injection. This may be used for some surgeries in the belly, legs, groin, and genitals. First, the area is numbed. Then the spinal medicine is...
Spinal canal
The spine (backbone) is a column of bones (vertebrae) stacked on top of one another. Each vertebra has an opening near its center. The spinal canal is made up of openings in the vertebrae through which the spinal cord runs.
Spinal cord anatomy
The spinal cord is a soft bundle of nerves that extends from the base of the brain to the lower back. It runs through the spinal canal, which is protected by the bones of the spine (vertebrae). Messages between the brain and the nerve roots travel up and down the spinal cord. This makes it possible for the brain and...
Spinal cord injuries
A spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord that can interfere with how messages travel back and forth between the brain and the rest of the body. An injury to the spinal cord can result in complete or partial loss of movement (paralysis) and feeling and complete or partial loss of bladder and bowel function. The...
Spinal cord injury specialist
Spinal cord injury specialists are rehabilitation doctors (physiatrists) who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of people who have spinal cord injuries. A person is referred to a spinal cord injury specialist because of spinal cord disease or a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injury specialists can be...
Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms, Adult or Older Child
Symptoms of a spinal cord injury in an adult or older child may include: Severe neck or back pain. Not being able to move a part of the body. (This is not the same as being unable to move because of pain or because of a direct injury to that area.) Weakness, tingling, or numbness in the arms or legs. New loss of bowel...
Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms, Baby or Young Child
Symptoms of a spinal cord injury in a child may include: Severe neck or back pain. Being unable to move part of the body.
Spinal Cord Injury: Abdominal Thrust Assist (Assisted Cough)
A strong cough is important to help clear the lungs of mucus. If you have a weak cough or a lot of mucus, you may need an assisted cough. In an abdominal thrust (or Heimlich-type) assist, another person pushes on your belly to help you cough. This is done while you are sitting up in a bed or chair. If you're in a...
Spinal Cord Injury: Adapting Your Home
When you leave a rehabilitation (rehab) center for your home after an SCI, it will help to have your home ready for your special needs. Because you may have to use a wheelchair and have limited movement and feeling, you may have to adapt your home. Talk with your rehab team about what you will need to do. Here are some...
Spinal Cord Injury: Autonomic Dysreflexia
Autonomic dysreflexia is a syndrome in which the blood pressure of a person with a spinal cord injury (SCI) suddenly goes very high. Symptoms include: A pounding headache. A flushed face and red blotches on the skin above the level of spinal injury. Sweating above the level of spinal injury. A stuffy nose. Nausea. A...
Spinal Cord Injury: Breathing Practice
Lung and breathing problems are common in a spinal cord injury (SCI). This is because you may not be able to use some of the muscles necessary for breathing, or they may be very weak. This makes it difficult to breath, cough, and bring up mucus from the lungs, which leads to a greater risk of lung infections such as...
Spinal Cord Injury: Costophrenic Assist (Assisted Cough)
A strong cough is important to help clear the lungs of mucus. If you have a weak cough or a lot of mucus, you may need an assisted cough. In a costophrenic assist, another person pushes on your rib cage to help you cough. This is done while you are sitting up in a bed or chair. If you're in a wheelchair, be sure to set...
Spinal Cord Injury: Finding a Rehab Center
Rehabilitation (rehab) for an SCI is typically done in a special center. You and your family work with a rehab team, a group of health professionals that designs a unique plan for your recovery. The rehab center should be able to meet your special needs. Keep this in mind as you decide about a rehab center. You can ask...
Spinal Cord Injury: Flexibility Exercises
Flexibility exercises can help you keep your range of motion when you have an SCI. You may be able to do some of the flexibility exercises yourself. A loved one or a physical or occupational therapist can help you with others. When you do these stretches, make sure that you have something solid behind you that doesn't...
Spinal Cord Injury: Safe Transfers To or From a Wheelchair
After your spinal cord injury (SCI), you may need a wheelchair. Moving from your wheelchair to other locations is known as a transfer. If you have enough upper body strength, you may be able to do this yourself. Your injury and strength will determine what type of transfer you do. But there are general things that are...
Spinal Cord Injury: Self-Assisted Cough
A strong cough is important to help clear the lungs of mucus. If you have a weak cough or a lot of mucus, you may need an assisted cough. If you have enough strength and balance, you may be able to do a self-assisted cough. A self-assisted cough is done while you're sitting up in a bed or chair. If you are in a...
Spinal Cord Injury: Sensual Exercises
Sensual exercises may help you enjoy sexual intimacy and find satisfaction after a spinal cord injury. You may find that your old methods of finding satisfaction still work. Or maybe they no longer do. Doing sensual exercises with your partner may help you relax and focus more on the pleasurable touching of lovemaking...
Spinal Cord Injury: Talking With Your Partner About Sex
Talking with your partner may help your sexual function. Couples often wrongly assume that they each know what the other person likes when it comes to sex. But likes and dislikes may change after a spinal cord injury. Be honest about how the SCI has affected your sexual function and how you feel about it. Here are some...
Spinal Cord Injury: Your Rehabilitation Team
As soon as you are stabilized after your SCI, your transition into rehabilitation (rehab) begins. At first, the focus of rehab is to prevent other problems related to your SCI. And it helps you relearn how to do daily tasks, sometimes by using different muscle groups. Rehab helps you adjust to life with less movement...
Spinal Curves in Scoliosis
Spinal Curves in Scoliosis—Topic Overview Doctors use X-ray images of a person's spine to measure spinal curvature. A curve or angle of the spine is measured in degrees and describes how severe the curve is. (The angle is determined by the intersection of lines projected from the top and bottom of the curve.) If the...
Spinal Decompression for Neck Pain
Spinal decompression surgery reduces pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerve roots. Surgery is only done to relieve severe symptoms caused by pressure on the nerve roots. This pressure may cause neck pain, but it can also cause arm pain, numbness, or tingling; leg pain, numbness, or tingling; or problems with...
Spinal discs
Spinal discs are located between each of the 33 vertebrae, which are the interlocking bones of the spine that are stacked on top of one another. These discs act as shock absorbers for the spine and allow it to flex, bend, and twist. The outer portion of a spinal disc, called the capsule (annulus fibrosus), is made of...
Spinal fusion
Spinal fusion is a surgery that joins (fuses) two or more vertebrae together. Vertebrae are the 33 interlocking bones of the spinal column that are stacked on top of each other. Methods of doing spinal fusion may include: Using bone that is harvested from elsewhere in the body or is obtained from a bone bank. Or...
Spinal Fusion for Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a problem with the curve in the spine. Some curves in the spine are normal. But sometimes a spine makes a large curve from side to side in the shape of the letter "S" or the letter "C." If this curve is severe, it can cause pain and make it hard to breathe. Spinal fusion is surgery that helps straighten the...
Spinal Injury
A spinal injury is damage to the bones, ligaments, or nerves of the spinal column. This may include damage to the spinal cord, which is the nerve that extends from the base of the brain through the spinal canal to the lower back, or to the bones. A spinal injury can make a person unable to move or control part of the...
Spinal Manipulation
Learn the basics about spinal manipulation as a treatment option for back pain.
Spinal manipulation
Spinal manipulation, also called spinal adjustment, is a treatment that uses pressure on a joint of the spine. It is used to improve pain and function. Manipulation can be done with the hands or a special device. The careful, controlled force used on the joint can range from gentle to strong and from slow to rapid...