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when did epidurals start

Epidurals as a specific medical technique started in the late 1800s, with the first recorded epidural injection in 1885, and the modern lumbar epidural method developed in 1921.

Quick Scoop: Key Dates

  • 1885 – American neurologist James Leonard Corning performs the first recorded epidural-type injection using cocaine near the spinal cord, likely entering the epidural space even though he thought he was doing a spinal (subarachnoid) block.
  • 1901 – French physicians Jean-Anthanase Sicard and Fernand Cathelin intentionally inject anesthetic into the caudal/epidural space, marking the first clearly intentional epidural anesthesia.
  • 1921 – Spanish military surgeon Fidel Pagés develops the modern lumbar epidural anesthesia technique (the basic approach still used today), later popularized in the 1930s by Italian surgeon Achille Mario Dogliotti.
  • 1931–1940s – Continuous epidural techniques and catheters are introduced and used for childbirth pain relief, including early continuous obstetric epidurals.
  • 1970s – Epidural analgesia becomes common and more widely available for labor pain relief in many hospitals, which is when it really “went mainstream” for childbirth.

Epidurals for Labor Specifically

When people ask “when did epidurals start,” they often mean for childbirth :

  • Early use in labor: By 1931, obstetrician Eugen Aburel was using a catheter to give lumbar epidural pain relief during childbirth, but this was specialized and not yet routine.
  • Widespread use: Routine, commonly available epidurals in labor units did not become widespread until around the 1960s–1970s, as techniques, drugs, and safety standards improved.

Mini Timeline (Simple View)

  • 1885 – First recorded epidural injection (Corning).
  • 1901 – First intentional epidural anesthesia (Sicard, Cathelin).
  • 1921 – Modern lumbar epidural technique (Pagés).
  • 1931–1940s – Continuous epidurals and early use in childbirth.
  • 1970s – Epidurals become common for labor pain relief.

TL;DR: Epidurals “started” in 1885 as a concept, were clearly intentional by 1901, took modern form in 1921, and became common for labor pain in the 1970s.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.