Regarding neck pain and/or headache following a spinal tap: he should lie flat for a few days to give himself a chance to recover. Have him follow up with his doc if this doesn't clear up in a few days or gets worse.

I had a spinal tap once that gave me horrendous head and neck pain whenever I stood up. It got to where I was vomiting from pain. I ended up in the ER, and they did a blood patch, and that fixed me right up.

fanfaire

lie flat for at least the day of and day after the spinal tests....To not do so guarantees that a headache will happen... I'm going to look up those prep tests I'd read about [umm, after I'd had the tests and got that headache?] That headache is in my top ten headaches ever for sure. You are not crazy?

Well, it's small comfort to say that YES those shooting, electric shock like pains are 'normal'? Well, they are and they can get lots worse if the doc doesn't get those spinal results soon! They always take forever! But they are usually sent cross country to reliable labs and these labs know their stuff. [BTW expect 'insurance glitches' from all this -my tests were sent to the 'other' coast where they didn't 'recognize me in their plan...stuff that happens, call your local ins co and hope you don't get a 'brain-dead' person...you know or will know what I mean...takes heaps of patience and time to sort it all out]. I hope your good person can read all this, and all past posts and stickies and learn that it's not crazy pain. IT IS PAIN! Get it diagnosed and treated as best possible....it's not something that gets an easy fix! Good thoughts! - j