How is regional anesthesia different from local anesthesia?
Sometimes, the terms “regional anesthesia” and “local anesthesia” are used interchangeably. Typically, however, regional anesthesia describes anesthesia that is used on a wider region of the body. For example, local anesthesia might be used to numb a section of the leg. Regional anesthesia, conversely, can numb the entire leg. When the entire leg is anesthetized, it is known as peripheral regional anesthesia because a single nerve or specific bundle of nerves is blocked.
