Our surgeons call in advance of their scheduled visit in order to allow the nursing staff to have local anesthesia (eg lidocaine) at hand if the need arises.

You may have localized back pain from the needle insertion, which should last a day or so. On the other hand, you may experience generalized back pain, which is not necessarily attributable to the epidural. Studies have shown that mothers who have natural childbirth deliveries are likely to experience generalized back pain as those who have epidurals. It seems that pregnancy itself can increase the incidence of back pain because of softening of ligaments resulting in back strain.

Abolition or dulling of pain sensation by the use of acupuncture, also called "acupuncture anesthesia" when used for surgical operations. The Chinese name for this is "Chen-Ma" which means "Needle-Anesthesia"

Epidural analgesia may be useful if you have certain conditions such as heart or lung problems. Occasionally, epidural analgesia may be beneficial if you happen to have preeclampsia (high blood pressure and swollen feet). You should discuss this with your anesthesiologist and obstetrician.

The Anesthesia & Analgesia CME program is offered to IARS members as a free benefit of membership. Because the IARS supports 100% of the cost of this program, it is only available to IARS members. If you are not an IARS member, you can join the IARS through their website. ($140/year) and have full access to the CME program. Because a CME record can only be associated with a specific individual, the CME program is not available through institutional subscriptions.

ELA can be used for onychocryptosis, cryosurgery, verruca treatments, and many other minor surgical procedures for which an injection of local anaesthetic would normally be given. In addition, because ELA is inexpensive and easy to administer, it is ideal for procedures which may cause discomfort but are not generally considered to justify chemical anaesthesia.

It is evident that needling simulates peripheral nerves in the muscles which send messages to the brain to release endorphins (morphine-like peptides in the brain) These neurochemicals then cause analgesia by blocking the transmission of painful messages. Three main sites for endorphin acupuncture analgesia have been found. The pituitary gland is one site that has been shown to release endorphins into the blood stream.

PCAs are computerized pumps that can be set to deliver a specific amount of medication when a button is pushed by a patient. Children as young as 4 years old have used PCAs effectively, although generally we only offer it to children over the age of 7. Safety settings include limits on how often the pump will deliver the medication, how much is given at a time, and how much can be given over a four-hour period. Several medications can be used this way.

Once you have completed a specific Anesthesia & Analgesia CME course, your exam score will be displayed, along with the correct answers highlighted. A link to the preferred answer in the context of the reading material may also be provided, either before or after passing the exam.

Yes. This machine allows you to give your own pain medication. It is programmed so that you cannot give yourself too much. You should push your button any time you feel uncomfortable. Your parents should not hit the button for you while you are sleeping.