How is it performed? of Lumbar puncture

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The patient lies on one side with the spine curved as much as possible, to ensure that the vertebrae are widely separated. The area of skin at the base of the spine is painted with an antiseptic solution and local anaesthetic is injected to numb the area.

A hollow needle is inserted between two of the vertebrae and into the spinal canal, below the end of the spinal cord. This is used to withdraw CSF, or to inject drugs, anaesthetic, or a contrast medium (a substance used in scanning procedures).

The needle is then removed and the puncture site is covered with sterile tape. The procedure takes less than 20 minutes.