is an epidural painful
For an epidural: 1  The doctor injects medicine just outside of the sac of fluid around your spinal cord. This is called the epidural space.  The medicine numbs, or blocks feeling in a certain part of your body so that you cannot feel pain. The medicine begins to take effect in about 10 to 20 minutes. It works well for longer procedures. Women often have an epidural during childbirth.