Can an epidural injection cause nerve damage?

Author

Emma Newman

Published Mar 01, 2026

Can an epidural injection cause nerve damage?

Nerve damage is a rare complication of spinal or epidural injection. In the majority of cases, a single nerve is affected, giving a numb area on the skin or limited muscle weakness. These effects are usually temporary with full recovery occurring within days or a few weeks.

Keeping this in view, can epidurals cause nerve damage?

Permanent nerve damage

In rare cases, an epidural can lead to permanent loss of feeling or movement in, for example, 1 or both legs. The causes are: direct damage to the spinal cord from the epidural needle or catheter. infection deep in the epidural area or near the spinal cord.

Similarly, can you sue for nerve damage from epidural? For example, the accepted standard of epidural needle penetration is 1.75 inches into the tissue; if the medical professional penetrated the tissue past 2 inches and caused permanent nerve damage or other serious injuries, the victim may have a case for medical malpractice.

Likewise, can a nerve be damaged by an injection?

Post-injection nerve damage can result from direct needle trauma, chemical irritation, toxic action of the injected solution, and neuritis (or fibrotic changes). When a nerve injury is caused by a needle, most patients report immediate pain at the time of injection,¹¹ as our patient did.

Can a lumbar puncture cause nerve damage?

Nerve damage after a lumbar puncture is extremely rare (1 in a 1000). Some times during the procedure the nerves that float in the fluid can touch the sides of the needle causing them to be stimulated, when this happens it gives a feeling of tingling down the leg that lasts for a few seconds.

What happens when an epidural hits a nerve?

Nerve damage is a rare complication of spinal or epidural injection. In the majority of cases, a single nerve is affected, giving a numb area on the skin or limited muscle weakness. These effects are usually temporary with full recovery occurring within days or a few weeks.

What are symptoms of nerve damage?

The signs of nerve damage include the following:

Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet.
Feeling like you're wearing a tight glove or sock.
Muscle weakness, especially in your arms or legs.
Regularly dropping objects that you're holding.
Sharp pains in your hands, arms, legs, or feet.

Can epidural cause back problems later?

Studies have shown that there is no correlation between having an epidural and lower back pain. These studies show that mothers that did not have an epidural are just as likely to have lower back pain after delivery as mothers that had a epidural. However, in rare cases, an epidural can cause nerve damage.

What happens if an epidural goes wrong?

If the epidural needle accidentally punctures the membrane covering the spinal cord and fluid leaks out, it can cause a severe headache. This only happens in about 1 percent of deliveries with epidurals, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

What happens if epidural injection doesn't work?

Doctors can often recommend other options that may relieve pain, though these can be dangerous too – they may prescribe opioids, a highly addictive pain medication, for example. Back surgery is rare, but some patients may face a surgical option if all other conventional treatments have failed.

How many epidural steroid injections are safe in a lifetime?

Some experts recommend no more than 3 injections in a 12-month period, owing to concerns about the adverse events of chronic steroid administration, both locally and systemically. However, other experts believe that up to 6 injections per year is safe.

What happens if an injection hits a nerve?

Other injection site events

If a nerve is hit, the patient will feel an immediate burning pain, which can result in paralysis or neuropathy that does not always resolve.

What happens if a needle hits a nerve?

On rare occasions, the needle can hit a small sensory nerve that runs close to the vein when it enters the arm. If this happens, the patient experiences an electric shock-like pain. While that may be the extent of the damage, it can linger for up to several weeks with a tingling feeling, but eventually it heals.

What does it feel like when nerves are healing?

The nervous system tends to become hyperactive as nerves regain normal function. The nerve structures, as they recover, tend to be irritable for a period of time. That's because the nerves are firing spontaneously. Most of the time, the pins and needles feeling is a good sign.

What happens when injection goes wrong?

The microbes in injection substances, injection equipment or already-existing on the skin, can enter the body causing very serious infections. Similarly, incorrect injection techniques or erroneous injection locations, can cause blood vessel breakage, muscle or nerve damage and paralysis.

How long does a damaged sciatic nerve take to heal?

Summary. Sciatica results from pain due to irritation of the sciatic nerve. People can experience sciatic pain in the lower back, buttocks, and down the back of either leg. Sciatica usually gets better in 4–6 weeks, but it could last longer.

What happens if the sciatic nerve is damaged?

Partial damage to the nerve may demonstrate weakness of knee flexion (bending), weakness of foot movements, difficulty bending the foot inward (inversion), or bending the foot down (plantar flexion). A person's reflexes may be abnormal, with weak or absent ankle-jerk reflex.

How long does nerve damage from blood draw last?

Newman and Waxman found that 70, 90, and 96% of venipuncture-related nerve injuries resolve within 1, 2 and 6 months, respectively. However, chronic disabling deficits have been reported at an incidence of 1 in 1.5 million phlebotomies.

Can a damaged sciatic nerve heal?

Although the pain associated with sciatica can be severe, most cases resolve with non-operative treatments in a few weeks. People who have severe sciatica that's associated with significant leg weakness or bowel or bladder changes might be candidates for surgery.

Can you get nerve damage from novocaine injection?

Abstract. Prolonged and possibly permanent change in sensation due to nerve damage can occur after dental injections. Although the condition is rare, many practitioners will see this form of nerve injury during their careers.

How do you fix nerve damage?

How Are Nerve Pain and Nerve Damage Treated?

Regulating blood sugar levels for people with diabetes.
Correcting nutritional deficiencies.
Changing medications when drugs are causing nerve damage.
Physical therapy or surgery to address compression or trauma to nerves.
Medications to treat autoimmune conditions.

Can you sue for a failed epidural?

If you are injured by an epidural injection, however, you may be able to sue the medical professionals responsible for your care. If you do, you may be able to recover compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages caused by the epidural injection error.

Are there long term effects of epidural?

Despite the rarity of serious adverse effects after ESI, the long-term complications that have been reported arise from both mechanical and chemical sources. These potential long-term complications are primarily related to infection, bleeding, endocrine effects, and neurologic complications.

Can your back hurt months after epidural?

While epidurals can cause temporary discomfort at the injection site, they're probably not the culprit behind your lower back pain — especially during postpartum recovery. Your body is adjusting back to its former alignment, which can cause aches and pains. These should go away within 6 months after delivery.

What is the risk of epidural injection?

Indeed, FDA warned in 2014 that injections of corticosteroids into the epidural space of the spine may result in rare but serious adverse effects, including loss of vision, stroke, paralysis, and death. The number of Medicare providers giving epidural steroid injections had increased 13% from 2012 to 2016.

Can epidural cause leg weakness?

Lower limb motor weakness is a well-known complication of epidural analgesia with local anesthetics. It leads to delays in the postoperative rehabilitation process and may necessitate temporary or permanent discontinuation of the epidural infusion causing pain, patient discomfort, and dissatisfaction.

Can you sue an anesthesiologist?

In the case that the negligent anesthesiologist is an employee of the hospital, then the hospital and the doctor should be sued. However, if the anesthesiologist is an independent contractor, you must sue, at the very least, the doctor.

Is an epidural injection considered surgery?

An epidural steroid injection is a minimally invasive procedure that is performed at a doctor's office, surgical center, or hospital.

What is a wet tap epidural?

A spinal headache happens as a result of a hole being accidentally made in the membrane that separates the epidural and spinal space (the dura) with a large needle. The incidence of wet tap is about 0.5-1% anytime a needle is placed in your back for regional anesthesia (the general term for epidural, spinal, and CSE).

What happens when a lumbar puncture goes wrong?

When spinal fluid is removed during an LP, the risks include headache from a persistent spinal fluid leak, brain herniation, bleeding, and infection. Each of these complications are uncommon with the exception of headache, which can appear from hours to up to a day after a lumbar puncture.

Can lumbar puncture cause paralysis?

Because the needle is inserted well below where the spinal cord ends, there is almost no chance of nerve damage or paralysis.

Can a spinal tap cause long term back pain?

Post-lumbar puncture headaches can last from a few hours to a week or more. Back discomfort or pain. You may feel pain or tenderness in your lower back after the procedure. The pain might radiate down the back of your legs.

Can a lumbar puncture damage your spine?

Serious complications of this procedure are rare. The spinal canal in the lower part of the lumbar spine only contains fluid because the spinal cord ends further up. This means the spinal cord can't be damaged in the lumbar spine area.

Does a Spinal Tap hurt more than an epidural?

In most people, a spinal tap causes no more than a small amount of discomfort. Some may feel some burning and nerve twinges when the needle is inserted. “I tell women who've had epidurals [a form of regional anesthesia sometimes used during labor] that a spinal tap will feel similar to that,” Dr. Stone says.

When should you go to the ER after a lumbar puncture?

When to Contact the Doctor After a Spinal Tap

You notice any unusual drainage, including bloody discharge, at the puncture site. You develop a fever. Your headache persists. Your pain symptoms worsen.

How many lumbar punctures can a person have?

It is important that you tell the person performing the lumbar puncture if you feel pain. Also, there must be no more than 3 attempts to insert the needle in to your spine. Any more than three attempts may result in an incorrect reading and the procedure should be stopped and re booked for another day.

Can a blood patch cause nerve damage?

Commonly encountered side effects are increased pain from the injection (usually temporary), rarely inadvertent puncture of the“sack” containing spinal fluid (may not relieve your headaches), infection, bleeding, nerve damage, or no relief from your headache.

How long does your back hurt after a lumbar puncture?

Sometimes it's done to release pressure from too much fluid or to look for diseases such as multiple sclerosis. You may feel tired, and your back may be sore where the needle went in (the puncture site). You may have a mild headache for a day or two. This can happen when some of the spinal fluid is removed.

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