SPG Nerve block to treat lumbar puncture headache

Lumbar puncture headache treated with SPG nerve block.

Treating headaches caused by lumbar puncture was usually addressed by using the patients own blood to create a patch with which the hole caused by the lumbar puncture was closed. This is called an epidural block patch or EBP. This has numerous risks. Firstly it may cause a second puncture severely compounding the problem. Secondly the blood patch or EPB is not always successful and may have to be repeated. Researchers in this paper therefore the SPG nerve block for lumbar puncture headache.

This a review paper that summarises the results of other studies. In 13 patients suffering with headache caused by lumbar puncture 11 had great results with an SPG block and did not need the more risky, less effective, and more costly EBP blood patch. Another trial of 72 patients divided the group into 33 patients that received the SPG nerve block, and 39 patients that received the EPG blood patch. The SPG block delivered superior pain relief and no complications. The EPG blood patch relived less pain and resulted in numbers complications. In a third study three patient with lumbar puncture headache received and SPG nerve block. This was effective in relieving the pan and none of them needed EPG blood patches.

Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) – Headache caused by lumbar puncture

Dural puncture (DP) – The hole made by a lumbar puncture