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Evidence Library · Pain relief
The headache that can follow
Post-dural puncture headache: uncommon, but severe when it happens.
The epidural needle punctures the sac holding spinal fluid in about 1.5% of placements, and about 52% of those women develop a positional headache. It is treatable with a blood patch. After a spinal for a cesarean, headache occurs in about 1.7%.
Where this comes from
- Choi PT, Galinski SE, Takeuchi L, Lucas S, Tamayo C, Jadad AR. PDPH is a common complication of neuraxial blockade in parturients: a meta-analysis of obstetrical studies. Can J Anaesth. 2003;50(5):460-469.
Covered in the class
4Module 4. The epidural, in detailHow it is placed, what it feels like, what goes wrong, and the complications in real numbers.Continue
Read this inside the full program, with the questions to take to your next visit and a record of what you have covered.
Obstetric Anesthesia Preparedness →More from Pain relief
What labor pain is actually likeMost American women choose an epidural, and that number is rising.
How American women manage labor painThree quarters use an epidural, and the gap by insurance is not about pain.
The other optionsNitrous oxide, opioids, water, movement, and nothing.
Nitrous oxide and intravenous opioidsBoth are options. Both relieve less pain than an epidural.
This page is educational. It supports the conversation with your own clinicians. It is not consent to any treatment, and it cannot assess you.