BACKACHE AFTER ANAESTHESIA MYTH OR FACT!!!!!

MBBS
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Many patients coming for surgery, when spinal anaesthesia plan is discussed with them, the first thing they tell us is “I am concerned that if I undergo this procedure I might have backache for my lifetime”.

Most people who complain of lower backache after undergoing spinal anaesthesia might have a pre-existing back pain, new onset of backache is a rare event.

When the spinal anaesthetic effect wears off, the needle puncture site usually no longer causes pain, if there is any discomfort, it is just mild and will quickly heal first few days.

However, some patients experience back pain after spinal anaesthesia due to:

  • Heavy work or incorrect sleeping posture before surgery
  • Pre-existing conditions such as disc diseases, ligament issues, arthritis, spinal inflammation, scoliosis, degeneration, herniated discs, or existing injuries

Therefore, patients with back pain need a thorough examination to determine the cause and develop the most appropriate treatment plan.

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If the spinal anaesthesia process damages the ligaments in the lumbar region, it can cause back pain, this is quite rare. In recent times the needles being used in spinal anaesthesia are increasingly smaller in diameter, tissue damage is minimal. So, backache after spinal anaesthesia is very rare with these days practise.

What’s your opinion on this ?

MBH/PS

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yes pain can occurs if the needle administration doesn’t take place properly.

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I think a concept or fear was created in the patient’s mind. But it’s not anesthesia; it may be other physiological factors that are causing the pain. It is a very well-known myth in C-sections. But the real cause is the extra load on the pelvic area due to pregnancy or the wrong posture during breastfeeding.

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Making patients clinically aware even before surgery is important because it can reduce the chances of back pain caused by pre-operative heavy work done by the patient, as it is mentioned in the post. Talking about myths like this with them will give them relief from possible complication-related myths they have in their mind as well.

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I think a major reason for this fear is the lack of awareness and the many myths surrounding anesthesia. Many people believe that receiving anesthesia, especially spinal anesthesia, will cause lifelong back pain, even though this is not generally true.Modern anesthesia techniques are much safer and have advanced significantly over the years.