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Overview
Before you get an epidural, your doctor will wash your back with antiseptic and determine the best place for the injection. Next, you'll get a shot of local anesthetic to numb the spot where the epidural needle will be inserted.
Review Date 3/31/2020
Updated by: John D. Jacobson, MD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda Center for Fertility, Loma Linda, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.