Epidural study ‘laughable’

A REPORT finding no link between backache and reduced mobility to epidural injections used to relieve labour pain has been described as “laughable” by maternity groups here.

Support groups for mothers say many women seeking advice or help after birth complain of prolonged backache and decreased mobility as a result of the epidural, a long-lasting painkilling injection administered during labour.

An epidural is an anaesthetic administered by a needle which is inserted into a cavity at the base of the spine, and numbs nerves from the womb.

This latest research, conducted by anaesthetists at North Staffordshire Hospital in Stoke on Trent, England, looked at 369 women, half of whom received an epidural, while the rest of the women took other forms of pain relief.

They were then followed up to see who had back pain and given general checks of their spinal mobility.

The researchers found that there were no significant differences in mobility or in pain reported by the women.

However, support groups here believe this study interviewed too few women to find any conclusive evidence on the issue.

Maura O'Reagan of the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services said the study was far too narrow and contradicts other research conducted in Birmingham that looked at 11,000 women and found a link between epidurals and backache.

"The results of an earlier study in Birmingham, which actually pioneered the use of epidurals, makes this research laughable. This study was done by anaesthetists. Anaesthetists want to prove epidurals work well and they don't want to follow up on stories of backache or discomfort."

"The fact is there are women who are suffering long-term as a result of the epidural. Many women suffer prolonged backache, headaches, tingling and numbness as a result of the injection. Every pregnancy is different and every person reacts differently to drugs so looking at just 369 people is not enough to base a conclusion on," Ms O'Reagan said.

She pointed out that backache often only develops about three months after the birth when women are starting to get more active and find they have difficulty lifting or moving.

The Multiple Births Association also noted that many women complain of backache after they have received an epidural, but a spokesperson pointed out that pregnancy also causes its own strain on the back.

One woman, who declined to be named, said she had received an epidural before the births of her son, now 17 and her 12-year old daughter and had suffered backache and numbness for some time. She believed it was caused by the injection.

Belinda Phipps, from the National Childbirth Trust in Britain, said she had encountered many women who could trace the root of their back pain to the epidural given during labour.

"There's no such thing as a free lunch - as with every medical intervention, there is a price to pay. Too often, the epidural is presented simply as a way of having a pain-free delivery, and women are not informed of the downside," she said.