Joint Pain

• Marcaine combined with a steroid can be injected directly into a joint to control pain from surgery, trauma or a chronic condition such as rheumatoid arthritis. Marcaine can ease the pain for eight to 12 hours or longer while the steroid works to calm inflammation.
  
  

Back Pain

• Marcaine injections are used in a discogram to help find the source of spine pain. By anesthetizing specific nerves as they emerge from the spinal cord, your doctor can determine exactly which nerves are sending pain signals to the brain, and can then treat these nerves individually, allowing you to reduce or eliminate systemic painkillers that can affect your overall function.
  
  

Obstetrical Pain

• A Marcaine injection is also used as a "spinal" during childbirth. This blocks feeling in the woman's lower body but does not interfere with labor. Because the anesthesia is regional, it does not affect the baby.
  
  

Side Effects

• According to the site RxList.com, an allergic reaction to Marcaine can cause "hives, difficulty breathing and swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat." For these, tell the person giving the injection immediately, call 911 or go to the nearest ER.
  
  Less urgent but still serious side effects can include slowed breathing, slow or fast heartbeat, anxiety, dizziness/fainting or trouble urinating.