Chronic Pain After Spinal Tap: Seeking Answers
Profile: 26-year-old female, 5'2", 120 lbs, biracial (Black and White) with no current medications except for over-the-counter pain relief (Aleve or Advil); maintains a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle. Greetings everyone, I wanted to share my experience since undergoing a spinal tap in September. Following the procedure, I encountered severe issues as my sciatic nerve became compressed, ultimately resulting in a diagnosis of viral meningitis. This condition led to a 10-day hospital stay, followed by a prolonged recovery period where I relied on a cane for approximately 9 weeks. I also participated in physical therapy until just before Thanksgiving, addressing symptoms such as leg numbness and persistent back pain. My discomfort originates in the lower back area, radiating sharply down my right leg, with sensations that resemble stabbing and burning. As days progress, I find it increasingly challenging to engage in routine activities, and restful sleep has become elusive. Despite consulting both my primary care physician and a neurologist, all diagnostic tests have returned normal results, leaving me frustrated and searching for explanations. What might be the underlying reason for my ongoing pain?
Answers (1)
6/23/2025, 4:50:45 PM
OpenHealth AI
You are experiencing persistent pain after a spinal tap, which can be frustrating, especially when diagnostic tests show normal results. This type of discomfort after such a procedure may arise from a few potential causes, including nerve irritation, residual effects from viral meningitis, or even post-dural puncture headache and its complications. The sharp and burning sensations you describe could also suggest neuropathic pain, which is often challenging to treat.
Understanding Your Situation:
- Nerve Irritation: After a spinal tap, nearby nerves may become irritated, which could explain the shooting pain and numbness down your leg.
- Recovering from Viral Meningitis: The recovery process can be lengthy, and lingering symptoms like back pain are possible in individuals who have had viral meningitis.
- Neuropathic Pain: This nerve-related pain can manifest as sharp, burning sensations. It's often not fully understood but can sometimes persist even when initial causes have resolved.
Next Steps:
- Pain Management: Continue using over-the-counter pain relievers like Aleve or Advil, but consider alternating them or trying a different one if you haven't already (always follow the labeled instructions).
- Physical Therapy: Since you have benefitted from physical therapy before, consult with your therapist about tailoring exercises to focus on strengthening and stretching your back and legs. They should be aware of your surgical and health history to modify accordingly.
- Self-Care: Implement self-care strategies. This includes applying heat (like a warm compress) to help ease muscle tension or utilizing cold packs to reduce inflammation. Gentle stretching or yoga can also help maintain mobility.
- Monitor Your Symptoms: Keep a detailed record of your pain patterns, triggers, and any other symptoms you experience. This diary can help you identify what exacerbates the pain and will provide useful insights for future medical consultations.
- Explore Alternative Therapies: Consider discussing options like cognitive behavioral therapy or mindfulness-based stress reduction with your healthcare provider. These can help manage the emotional burden of chronic pain.
If pain persists or worsens despite these efforts, it may be worthwhile to revisit your neurologist or consult a pain specialist. They may have additional avenues to explore for pain management, including medications specifically targeting neuropathic pain or other interventions.
Remember, it's important to be patient as you navigate recovery. Chronic pain can take time to heal, and you deserve a multidisciplinary approach to find what works best for you.
Related Questions
Strange Jelly-Like Substance Observed from Wound
I’m a 21-year-old female living with an auto-inflammatory condition known as hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Recently, I've experienced a concerning issue with one of my wounds. This particular wound causes significant pain and excessive bleeding. However, whenever I attend to it, I tend to find this unusual jelly-like substance present within it. Interestingly, this phenomenon has only occurred with this one wound and not any of the others I have. The bleeding seems to persist until I manage to remove this jelly substance, after which it typically slows down and comes to a halt completely. I’m seeking insights into what this might signify so that I can effectively discuss it with my healthcare provider.
Healing Progress Post-GBS: Toe Concerns
I am a 28-year-old male, measuring 5 feet 10 inches and weighing 131 pounds. My current medications include Fomadatine and Zyrtec, prescribed due to my ongoing battle with Chronic Gastritis and SIBO. I maintain a healthy lifestyle, abstaining from both smoking and alcohol. My health concern revolves around the toe adjacent to my pinky toe on my left foot, as well as my pinky toe on the right foot. Since August of last year, I have been on the mend from Guillain Barre Syndrome. Recently, I've noticed that at night, the skin on my feet tends to turn a reddish pink, although this usually improves after I walk around. However, two of my toes have remained red, with one appearing slightly swollen. Generally, my pinky toes are quite thick, but the condition of my left foot's toe is worrisome for me. It seems that I'm unable to upload an image to illustrate my issue.
Swelling Beneath My Chin Near the Jawline
18-Year-Old Male: I'm reaching out to any medical professionals who might provide insights into my situation. I've been using marijuana since I was 14, but now, at 17, I'm making an effort to stop and have been clean for 18 days. Recently, I've discovered an unusual swelling located just beneath my chin, behind my jaw. It causes some discomfort when I move, yet it doesn’t feel painful continuously. I'm somewhat anxious that this could be indicative of a more serious issue, especially considering it's positioned near my chin's lymph nodes. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated as it might help alleviate my worry.
Seeking Insights: My Journey with Undiagnosed Neurological Symptoms
Hello everyone, I'm a 34-year-old female grappling with neurological symptoms that first appeared in October, and I’m eager to hear from anyone who might have faced similar challenges. My journey began with unexpected migraines, blurred vision, and an ongoing sensation of being off-balance or intoxicated. Gradually, I began experiencing mainly sensory-related symptoms, such as tingling and burning sensations, feelings of extreme heat and cold, sharp pains radiating in my arms and back, as well as discomfort in my hands and toes, alongside intermittent numbness. I also endure varying degrees of weakness and heaviness in my right side, specifically my arm and leg, although I haven’t suffered complete functional loss. The nature of my symptoms is erratic; they fluctuate rather than consistently deteriorate. An MRI revealed mild, scattered lesions in the white matter, which were deemed nonspecific. Further tests from a lumbar puncture returned normal results, showing no markers of inflammation, and the oligoclonal bands were not present. A thorough range of lab tests yielded no significant findings. After evaluating my case, the neurology team suggested a possible diagnosis of MS and administered a three-day course of intravenous steroids. While I noticed a slight improvement in some sensory pain, my symptoms persist and continue to vary day by day. I still experience headaches and pressure in my head along with episodes of blurred vision, but there have been no new deficits since treatment. I am reaching out to connect with others who have had similar experiences. I would like to learn about the insights or diagnoses you encountered and what treatments proved beneficial (such as those related to migraine disorders, dysautonomia, or sensory neuropathy, for example). If you have navigated a similar path, I would greatly appreciate your sharing your story. Thank you!
Unusual Heart Sensation
I’m an 18-year-old, weighing 50 kilograms and standing at 170 centimeters (and yes, I’m aware that I’m quite slender). For the past couple of years, I’ve developed a habit of smoking about half a pack of cigarettes each day. So, the other day I was lying on my left side, relaxing, when I stumbled upon an unusual sensation. It felt as though my heart was pulsating so intensely that it was almost outside my body. Out of curiosity, I pressed a bit on the area and was instantly hit with a rush; my head started to tingle, my vision momentarily blurred, and it felt as though my heart dropped. It was as if my entire system had malfunctioned. Just for context, I’ve experienced something similar before after a ketamine overdose, and it persisted for about a month afterward, occurring occasionally while trying to sleep or during random moments in bed. This current episode has me quite anxious, especially since it hasn’t happened in a while, but this time felt particularly alarming.