Headache after an epidural or spinal anaesthetic. International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd Edition.Headache pain worsens when coughing, sneezing or straining.Headache pain that increases when sitting or standing.Intense dull or throbbing headache that starts in the front or back of the head.Usually, it occurs within 1 to 2 days after the spinal tap. What are the signs and symptoms of a spinal headache?Ī spinal headache develops within 5 days after a spinal tap.

These problems include a ruptured (burst) cyst on the spinal cord and a head or face injury such as a fractured skull. Other conditions can cause spinal fluid leaks that lead to spinal headaches. The surrounding nerves and tissues become stretched, which results in the headache. The loss of fluid reduces the fluid balance surrounding the brain, which causes the brain to sag downward. Sometimes, spinal fluid leaks out of the tiny hole created by the needle. Doctors use this procedure to diagnose illness and deliver anesthesia, such as when pregnant women have an epidural during childbirth.Īrea of lower spine where spinal tap is taken and close-up of needle in the spinal canal.ĭuring the lumbar puncture, a doctor inserts a needle into the spinal canal in the lower back to deliver anesthesia or withdraw a sample of cerebrospinal spinal fluid. The most common cause of a spinal headache is a puncture (hole) created during a procedure called a spinal tap or lumbar puncture.

Spinal fluid leak