WebMD explains how a spinal tap, also called a lumbar puncture, is used to diagnose disorders of the brain and spinal cord, including multiple sclerosis (MS).

But a lumbar puncture on its own isn’t enough to confirm an MS diagnosis. Diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS) involves several steps. One of the first steps is a general medical evaluation that ...

Multiple Sclerosis MS is an autoimmune condition that can remain undetected for years A doctor explains how long MS can stay hidden before noticeable symptoms appear and the subtle early signs that ar ...

A spinal tap (lumbar puncture) may help confirm a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Here’s what you should expect from the procedure.

If there are complications with the lumbar puncture the stay can be longer. "With the MRI scan, it takes 8 minutes, is completely safe, and then you can go home.

Multiple sclerosis can be difficult to diagnose. ... A lumbar puncture typically takes about 30 minutes, and you’ll be given a local anesthetic.

How Is Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosed? ... Lumbar puncture. This test, which you may also hear called a spinal tap, checks the fluid that runs through your spinal column.

Experts have demonstrated that multiple sclerosis (MS) can successfully be diagnosed using an MRI scan, meaning patients no longer need to undergo a painful lumbar puncture. Experts found that by ...

Dr. Miller: These little spots on the brain that are tell-tale signs of multiple sclerosis. Dr. Dewitt: Exactly. Dr. Miller: So does that mean that we don't have to do this lumbar puncture anymore, to ...

An eight minute scan could replace painful spinal taps in diagnosing multiple sclerosis, ... and more than half of patients undergo a lumbar puncture—where a needle is inserted between the bones ...

The central vein sign is an emerging neuroimaging biomarker for multiple sclerosis that may reduce the need for lumbar puncture to detect oligoclonal bands in CSF, a pilot study shows.

Each patient was given an eight-minute MRI scan and a lumbar puncture and after 18 months, ... Iconic 80s TV magician Wayne Dobson dies aged 68 amid battle with multiple sclerosis; ...