Spinal tap how much does it hurt

Before your lumbar puncture, your doctor, nurse or other health care professional asks questions about your medical history, does a physical exam, and orders blood tests to check for bleeding or clotting disorders. Your doctor may also recommend a CT scan or MRI to determine if you have any abnormal swelling in or around your brain. Your health care professional will give you specific instructions about food, drink and medications. Tell your doctor or nurse if you're taking blood-thinning or other anticoagulant medications.

Examples include warfarin Coumadin, Jantoven , clopidogrel Plavix , and some over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen Advil, Motrin IB, others or naproxen sodium Aleve. Also, tell your doctor or nurse if you're allergic to any medications, such as numbing medications local anesthetics.

A lumbar puncture is usually done in an outpatient facility or a hospital by a doctor or a nurse. Your doctor or nurse will talk to you about the potential risks, and any discomfort you might feel during the procedure. If a child is having a lumbar puncture, a parent may be allowed to stay in the room in some cases.

Talk to your child's doctor or nurse about whether this will be possible. You may be asked to change into a hospital gown, although in some cases you may have the procedure while wearing your own clothing. There are a few possible positions for this test. Usually, you lie on your side with your knees drawn up to your chest, or you sit and lean forward on a stable surface. These positions flex your back, widening the spaces between your vertebrae and making it easier for your doctor to insert the needle.

The procedure usually lasts about 45 minutes. Your doctor or nurse may suggest lying down after the procedure. Sometimes, an ultrasound may be used as a guide during the procedure on infants and young children.

The ultrasound can help prevent inserting the needle too far. The spinal fluid samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis. Lab technicians check for a number of things when examining spinal fluid, including:. Lab results are combined with information obtained during the test, such as spinal fluid pressure, to help establish a possible diagnosis. Your health care professional generally gives you the results within a few days, but it could take longer. You'll be given a gown to wear for this procedure and you'll be asked to take off any jewelry, piercings, or accessories that could interfere with the test.

Your healthcare provider will talk to you about food, drink, and medication restrictions before the procedure.

For example, if you will need to have general anesthesia, you will likely need to refrain from eating or drinking anything for several hours or more before the spinal tap besides a very small amount of water to take your medications.

However, in an emergency situation or if you will only need to have numbing medication placed in the skin around your back, these restrictions won't apply. If you take blood-thinners like warfarin, clopidogrel, or heparin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen, you may need to stop these several days beforehand to reduce the risk of bleeding.

Let your healthcare provider know about any other medications, supplements, or herbal remedies you're taking too. If you have health insurance, this test should be covered, but you may want to check with your insurance provider or agent to make sure, as well as to find out if you need preauthorization before you have the test.

You can also find out about any co-pay or co-insurance for which you may be responsible. If you don't have health insurance, consider calling around your area. Prices can vary greatly from facility to facility, but make sure you ask what the cost covers. In some cases, the price may reflect just the spinal tap alone without any diagnostic or healthcare provider's fees. Also, ask about discounts for paying right away or any income-based discounts. Since you will likely be lying down for an hour or two after your procedure, you may want to bring along a book or something else to do.

Bring your insurance card as well. You will need someone to drive you home after the procedure, so be sure to bring along a friend or family member, or organize to have a service pick you up when you're done.

A healthcare provider, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner will perform your lumbar puncture and there may be an assistant there as well. If you have fluoroscopy or ultrasound, there may also be a radiologist or sonographer present.

You may need to fill out a consent form before you have this procedure. You'll need to change out of your clothes into a gown and then lie on your side on a table or your hospital bed in a fetal position with your knees tucked up toward your chest. Alternatively, you may be asked to sit on the edge of the table or bed and bend forward, leaning on something stable with your back to the healthcare provider.

These positions widen the area between your lumbar bones vertebrae , allowing for easier access. If your child is the one having the lumbar puncture, he or she may have intravenous IV sedation at this time, but most kids do just fine with the local anesthetic that's typically used.

The spinal tap itself usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour, plus recovery time. Your lower back will be cleaned with a sterilizing agent such as iodine and a local anesthetic, usually lidocaine, will be injected into your skin to numb the area. The injection of the numbing medication can cause a sharp poke and slight burning sensation.

Once your back is numb, the neurologist will insert a thin, hollow needle between two of your vertebrae into the thecal sac. You will need to hold very still for this.

Sometimes the needle has to be repositioned to find the right spot. You may feel pressure or a twinge of pain or numbness down your leg when the needle is inserted. For infants and young children, an ultrasound machine may be used to help guide the healthcare provider in placing the needle. A technician may help hold your child still as well, especially if he or she hasn't been sedated. The discomfort level can vary from one person to the next.

If you are obese or have degenerative bone disease, your medical team may opt to use fluoroscopy to lower the risk of a misplaced needle and avoidable pain. Once the needle is in place, what happens depends on why you're having the lumbar puncture.

The neurologist may measure the pressure of your CSF using a gauge called a manometer. The neurologist may measure the pressure of your CSF again after the fluid has been collected. Medication like antibiotics, chemotherapy, anesthesia, or dye may be injected if you're having the lumbar puncture for this purpose.

If not, or once the substance is injected, the needle is removed and a bandage is placed over the site. You may be asked to lie down flat for an hour or two after this procedure. You'll also be given fluids to help prevent dehydration. Both of these steps can help decrease your chance of developing a headache from the lumbar puncture. When you're discharged, you'll be able to go back to your hospital room if you're hospitalized or home with your driver. You'll need to take it easy for the rest of the day, but if you don't have a physically active job, you may be able to go back to work as long as you feel up to it.

Be sure to ask your healthcare provider ahead of time about this. Keep drinking water to make sure you stay hydrated. Your healthcare provider may give you more specific instructions.

You may notice some back pain, numbness, or soreness that can feel like it's radiating down your legs after the procedure for a few days. If it's bothersome, try over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol acetaminophen to help relieve the discomfort. Headaches can begin a few hours up to two days after your spinal tap. They're often minor, but sometimes they're accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and a stiff neck.

If you experience a headache after a spinal tap, Tylenol acetaminophen can often help. Caffeine can also relieve pain and help promote CSF production. Try lying down since being upright can make the pain worse. Sometimes the headache persists for a few days to a week after the lumbar puncture, which may mean that the needle has left a hole in your thecal sac and fluid is still leaking out. In this case, a procedure called an epidural blood patch—in which your own blood is injected into the thecal sac—may relieve your headache as it slows down the leakage.

Your test results may take several days or weeks to come back, depending on the type of test that's being done. For instance, if a culture is being done on your CSF, this is a more complex test that will take more time.

In emergency cases, simple test results may be available much sooner. When cerebrospinal fluid is tested, a number of factors are considered, including:.

You may have a mild headache for a day or two. This can happen when some of the spinal fluid is removed. You may be told to drink extra fluids after the procedure to help prevent a headache or make it less severe. Some people also have trouble sleeping for a day or two.

The fluid taken during a spinal tap is often sent to a lab for tests. Your doctor or nurse will call you with the test results. This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace. Follow the steps below to get better as quickly as possible.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse call line if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take. Call anytime you think you may need emergency care.

For example, call if:. Call your doctor or nurse call line now or seek immediate medical care if:. Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse call line if:. Adapted with permission from copyrighted materials from Healthwise, Incorporated Healthwise. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty and is not responsible or liable for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.