The last day of #leakweek is about hope. While there are patients who have not found a lasting repair for their spinal CSF leak, many patients do get sealed — and the field is ever-evolving. Year-over-year research is growing and advocacy is increasing. We are hopeful for the future.

For day 6 of #leakweek, we talked about post-treatment care, and how a percentage of people have rebound intracranial hypertension following a successful repair of their spinal CSF leak:

Day 5 of #leakweek is about treatment, and how there are different treatments depending on leak type and location. One size does not fit all!

For day 4 of Spinal CSF Leak Awareness Week, called #leakweek, we are talking about causes. It is a myth that the condition can 'only' be caused by trauma to the spine or a puncture or surgery. Spinal CSF leak can also occur spontaneously, a growing area of research during the prior decade:

Day 3 of leakweek is all about symptoms of #spinalcsfleak, which go far beyond a headache or positional head pain and are often system and debilitating. Here are our myths and facts for this aspect of the condition:

Day 2 of #leakweek: spinal CSF leak does not get better on its own in the majority of cases, and medical intervention (be it epidural blood patching, surgery, or embolization) is needed. Early diagnosis and swift treatment are crucial to successful outcomes — though unfortunately not yet the norm.

It’s #LeakWeek for Spinal CSF Leak Awareness. Here’s my #SciArt #embroidery sensorium (2016) featuring a spine. CSF leaks are common in the #MECFS community but often go undiagnosed. More information here: spinalcsfleak.org