US Medical Term · procedures
Epidural
Epidural
Also: Anestesia epidural (regional variant)
Epidural and spinal anesthesia
MedlinePlus describes spinal and epidural anesthesia together as procedures that deliver medicines that numb parts of the body to block pain, given through shots in or around the spine. For an epidural, the medicine goes just outside the sac of fluid around the spinal cord. For a spinal, the provider injects medicine into the fluid around the spinal cord; this is usually done only once, so no catheter is placed, and the medicine begins to take effect right away. A health care provider who gives epidural or spinal anesthesia is called an anesthesiologist.
What it means
An epidural is a form of anesthesia in which a provider injects medicine just outside of the sac of fluid around the spinal cord, called the epidural space. The medicine numbs, or blocks, feeling in a certain part of the body so that a person feels less pain or no pain at all. It begins to take effect in about 10 to 20 minutes. A small tube (catheter) is often left in place so that more medicine can be given. Epidural anesthesia is often used during labor and delivery, and for surgery in the pelvis and legs. As an adjective, the National Cancer Institute dictionary defines epidural as having to do with the space between the wall of the spinal canal and the covering of the spinal cord.
Epidural in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Epidural
- Gender and article
- feminine: la epidural
- Pronunciation
- eh-pee-doo-RAHL
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| anestesia epidural | General | The full form that MedlinePlus en español uses in its encyclopedia article on spinal and epidural anesthesia. |
Epidural is spelled the same in Spanish and English. The Spanish dictionary records it as an adjective taken from English, with one sense for a zone of the body and another said of an anesthesia produced by injecting an anesthetic directly into the epidural zone. The dictionary adds that the word is also used as a feminine noun, which gives la epidural. MedlinePlus en español writes the full form, anestesia epidural, and lists Epidural among the alternative names of its article.
That article pairs the term with anestesia raquídea (spinal anesthesia) and uses espacio epidural (epidural space), médula espinal (spinal cord), columna vertebral (spine), catéter (catheter) and anestesiólogo (anesthesiologist). For labor and delivery it writes el período de dilatación y el parto. The National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary uses the adjective in inyección epidural (epidural injection) and describes the space as lying between the wall of the spinal canal and the covering of the spinal cord.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | I would like an epidural during labor. | Quisiera una epidural durante el trabajo de parto. |
| Clinician | Someone from the anesthesia team will come to explain the epidural to you. | Alguien del equipo de anestesia vendrá a explicarle la epidural. |
| Clinician | Please sit on the edge of the bed and curve your back. | Por favor, siéntese en el borde de la cama y encorve la espalda. |
| Clinician | First I am going to clean your back and numb the skin. | Primero voy a limpiarle la espalda y a adormecerle la piel. |
| Patient | How long does it take to work? | ¿Cuánto tarda en hacer efecto? |
| Clinician | It begins to take effect in about 10 to 20 minutes. | Empieza a hacer efecto en unos 10 a 20 minutos. |
| Clinician | I am going to leave a small catheter in place so that we can give you more medicine. | Voy a dejarle un catéter pequeño para que podamos darle más medicamento. |
| Patient | I have had a severe headache since the epidural. | Tengo un dolor de cabeza fuerte desde la epidural. |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Epidural |
| Spanish (Español) | Epidural |
| Chinese (中文) | 硬膜外麻醉 |
| Korean (한국어) | 경막외 마취 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Gây tê ngoài màng cứng |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Epidural |
| Portuguese (Português) | Anestesia peridural |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การฉีดยาชาเข้าช่องไขสันหลัง |
| Japanese (日本語) | 硬膜外麻酔 |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Reproductive health and pregnancy
All terms in this area: Reproductive health and pregnancy — Salud reproductiva y embarazo
Sources
- Spinal and epidural anesthesia (Medical Encyclopedia) — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Anestesia raquídea y epidural (Enciclopedia médica) — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms: epidural — National Cancer Institute (NIH)
- Diccionario de cáncer del NCI: epidural — Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH)
- epidural — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026