Epidural Pain

Though epidurals are a really effective way to manage pain during labor and delivery, some women who receive epidurals might have lingering side effects from the injection. 


Potential symptoms include:

  • Pain or numbness at injection site 

    • The pain can be sharp or dull

    • It may get worse at the end of the day

  • Pain in the lower back 

    • Especially when sitting or standing for prolonged periods

  • Difficulty with rotational movements

    • Movement like reaching behind you in the car, lifting your baby while twisting, carrying your baby in the car seat, putting your baby in a bassinet


Causes of lingering epidural pain 

  • Restriction in the fascial tissue 

    • Fascial tissue can become restricted because of the puncture of the needle — especially if it took multiple attempts to administer the epidural. 

    • Fascial tissue can also become restricted if you’re sedentary after baby.

  • Bone bruise

    • Deep ache at all times with movement


Treatment for lingering epidural pain

According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, there’s no evidence that epidurals can cause permanent back pain. Any pain from the injection shouldn’t last longer than a week. If your pain is stemming from a bone bruise, it should heal on its own with time. But if mobility restrictions are the cause, it’s important to get your fascia tissue, muscles, and joints moving. 


Here are some exercises to focus on: 

  • Back extension exercises

    • Prone push ups. Start by lying on your belly. Place your hands directly below your shoulders with your elbows bent. Push up through your hands as you extend your arms, keeping a slight bend in your elbows. Hold the top position. Slowly lower back down. Repeat for 5 breaths. 

    • Prone push ups with one arm.  Repeat the setup for prone push ups, but only use one arm to push yourself up. Repeat 3 breaths on each arm. 

    • Cat/cow.  Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees below your hips. While taking a deep breath in, slowly round your back up toward the ceiling while dropping your head downward. Tuck your tail underneath you.  While exhaling, arch your back in the opposite direction, lifting your head and butt upward toward the ceiling. Repeat for assigned number of repetitions. Repeat for 8 breath counts. 

    • Quadruped pelvic clock. Start on all fours. Imagine a clock on your pelvis. Twelve o’clock is toward your nose and six o’clock is toward your toes. Tilt your pelvis toward 12:00 by activating your pelvic floor. Think as if you are tucking your tail underneath you. Allow your pelvic floor to relax and arch your back as you transition to the 6:00 position. Repeat for 5 repetitions.

  • Rotational movements (opening) 

    • Reaching rainbow with bolster. Lie on your side with your legs bent at a 90 degree angle, with a towel or small pillow between your knees. Put your arms straight out in front of you. Opening your chest, lift your top arm up and over in front of your face and up and over your head. When you feel a restriction reach even further over your head away from you. Repeat twice on each side. 

    • Extentric X’s. Lie on your side. Reach your arm forward up and overhead. At the same time reach the leg back, reaching down and back with your toes. Switch directions, reaching your arm backward and overhead. At the same time reach your leg in front of you and down. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

  • Soft tissue mobilization

    • Massage of multifidus. The multifidus is the small muscles on either side of your spine. Using your hand to massage the muscles to help release the soft tissue, find the bony part of your spine and move to the side of it. Massage up and down. Make a small circle around the area with your hands.  Perform for 2-3 minutes. 

  • Foam roll

    • Thoracic paraspinals. Lie on a foam roller with the roller running perpendicular to your spine. Place your hands behind your head and roll your hips and chest to the right. Using your legs, slowly roll your body up and down to massage out the muscles on either side of your spine. Start near your shoulder blades and move down to the lower part of the ribs. Perform 8 repetitions. 

    • Thoracic extension. Lie on a foam roller with the roller perpendicular to your spine and placed near your bra line. Place your hands behind your head and extend your back over the foam roller, keeping your ribs locked down. Perform 8 repetitions. 

Need more help?

Find a pelvic PT here  or here

Schedule an E&E Online Wellness Session

Previous
Previous

Preparing for Labor & Delivery

Next
Next

Tension Releasing Tips for Mamas