Treatment

Treatment for spinal headaches begins conservatively. Your doctor may recommend getting bed rest, drinking plenty of fluids, consuming caffeine and taking oral pain relievers.

If your headache hasn't improved within 24 hours, your doctor might suggest an epidural blood patch. Injecting a small amount of your blood into the space over the puncture hole will often form a clot to seal the hole, restoring normal pressure in the spinal fluid and relieving your headache. This is the usual treatment for persistent spinal headaches that don't resolve on their own.