What it means
The lumbar spine has five vertebrae, L1 to L5, which carry most of the body's weight. A lumbar puncture (spinal tap) uses a needle placed low in this area, below where the spinal cord ends, to remove spinal fluid. Low back pain is often lumbar pain.
For the nurse
For a lumbar puncture, help the client curl up on the side with knees to chest, or sit and lean forward over a table. Afterward, encourage fluids, keep the client lying down as ordered and ask about headache.
At a glance
| Spanish | lumbar |
|---|
Related terms
spinal cord
The long bundle of nerves that runs down through the backbone and carries messages between the brain and the body.
back pain
Pain felt anywhere along the back, most often in the lower back.
sacral
Having to do with the sacrum, the triangle-shaped bone at the base of the spine between the hip bones.