Spinal Tap Headache
Understanding Spinal Tap Headache
Spinal tap headache refers to a headache that occurs after a person undergoes spinal tap or spinal anesthesia. It is said that nearly 30 percent of patients who go through a spinal tap, which is also called a lumbar puncture, are found to experience a headache as a fall-out.
Both spinal tap and spinal anesthesia involve a small puncture being made on the membrane which covers the spinal cord. In the case of a spinal tap, the procedure is undertaken to extract some cerebrospinal fluid from the spinal canal. In the case of spinal anesthesia, where the aim is to numb the nerves of the lower body of the patient, the puncture is used to inject medication into the spinal canal. In either of these cases, if some spinal fluid leaks through the site of the puncture, a patient may start experiencing what is known as the spinal tap headache. When the spinal fluid leaks through the puncture hole, there is a fall in the pressure applied by the spinal fluid on the spinal cord and the brain and this leads to the headache.
There is a significant range in the degree of pain that different patients feel when experiencing spinal tap headaches. An individual’s level of pain also varies depending on their position and generally speaking the pain is remarkably worse when standing up or sitting down and more bearable when a person is lying down. The fluid leakage through the hole in the tough outer membrane covering the spinal cord may be reduced in the last position. Some patients experience some other symptoms during a spinal tap headache such as a ringing noise in the ears, nausea, dizziness and blurriness of vision.
A spinal tap headache is known to appear in the 12 to 24 hour period following a spinal anesthesia or spinal tap. In a small percentage of cases an epidural anesthesia can cause a spinal tap headache. In the case of the epidural anesthesia, the injection is actually applied outside the membrane shielding the spinal cord; but, if the membrane is accidentally punctured there can be a fluid leak and the resultant headache.
More often than not, spinal tap headaches subside by themselves and do not need any active intervention. However, if the headache, which is also called post-lumbar puncture headache, continues for a 24-hour period or longer, active intervention will be needed.
A visit to a doctor will involve a physical exam. If you are going to a doctor unaware of your spinal tap procedure, make sure that you mention it during your examination. The physician is like to suggest a magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) exam to get an accurate idea of what is causing the headache. An MRI involves the use of magnetic field and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of the brain’s structure.
In terms of treatment for the problem, experts in the field indicate that spinal tap headache is tackled fairly conservatively in the early stages. Bed rest and oral pain killers are likely to be the initial response. If the headache persists, the doctor may recommend one or more of these procedures:
Intravenous caffeine: Coffee is a popular antidote for headaches and in this treatment caffeine is delivered into the bloodstream directly and this serves to constrict the blood vessels in the brain and provides immediate relief for the patient.
Epidural blood patch: Since the idea is to seal the puncture through which the spinal fluid is leaking, doctors sometimes inject some of the patient’s blood into the space right over the puncture to create a clot that will close the hole. This will restore normalcy and re-establish the regular pressure of the spinal fluid and relieve the pain of the spinal tap headache.
Epidural saline: Following the same principle sometimes an injection of saltwater solution is used. This is injected into the space outside the membrane covering the spinal cord to apply pressure on the actual puncture hole and to effectively stop the leak. There is a possibility of the headache recurring in this treatment as saline solution is absorbed into the body fairly quickly.
The spinal tap headache is found to be more common in female patients and in those who have an existing medical history of frequent or recurrent headaches. Patients in the age range of 20 to 40 are more likely to experience a spinal tap headache. The larger the size of the needles used and more the number of holes that are punctured into the membrane, the higher the chances are of a patient suffering from a spinal tap headache.