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Nerve block may ease debilitating headaches after childbirth epidurals

NCT ID NCT04515901

Symptom relief Sponsor: McMaster University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled This study
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 07, 2026 · Last updated Jul 08, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a sphenopalatine ganglion block (SPGB) using lidocaine can reduce the severity and duration of post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) in new mothers. PDPH is a severe headache that can occur after an epidural or spinal needle insertion for labor pain relief. The study compares early SPGB (with an option for self-administered repeat blocks) to standard conservative care, aiming to see if a larger trial is feasible.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
lidocaine
What this could lead to
If effective, this could offer a non-invasive, safe treatment for severe headaches after epidural or spinal anesthesia in childbirth.
What could go wrong
This is a small feasibility study, not a large trial. The treatment may not reduce headache severity or duration, and individual results may vary.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Started

Dec 2021

Finished

Nov 2022

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 45 years

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18-45 * Confirmed PDPH as per ICHD-3 diagnostic criteria Exclusion Criteria: * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 4 and above * History of chronic headaches or migraines requiring prescription medication * Known nasal septal deformity or abnormality * Known allergy to amide anesthetics * Intrathecal catheters * Patients who received EBP on the initial presentation with PDPH who declined a trial of conservative management * Postpartum complication delaying maternal discharge

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

intracranial hypotension Post-Dural Puncture Headache

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Postdural puncture headache

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • McMaster University Medical Centre

    Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada

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