Patients' perceptions of pain with spinal, intramuscular, and venous injections.

Most of 46 patients believed that spinal injection would be more painful than intramuscular or intravenous injections. The reverse proved true: spinal injections were perceived to be less painful than the other two procedures. Intramuscular injections should be avoided. Local anaesthesia should be given for lumbar punctures and intravenous cannulation.