Numbness, tingling and nerve injury after axillary surgery

Numbness, tingling, burning or odd sensations in the armpit, inner upper arm or side of the chest are very common after lymph node surgery for breast cancer. They happen because several small nerves run through the armpit, and they can be stretched, bruised or sometimes cut during the operation. The nerve most often affected is a sensory nerve that crosses the armpit to supply the skin of the inner upper arm. When it is disturbed, you may feel a patch of numbness, a sensation like wearing a tight sleeve, or tingling and shooting pains. These changes are more common after a full axillary clearance than after a sentinel node biopsy, but they can happen with either. For many people, sensation slowly improves over months, sometimes up to a year or two, as nerves recover and the brain adjusts. Some numbness can be permanent, but it often becomes less noticeable. Less commonly, nerves that control muscles are affected, which can cause weakness in the shoulder or a shoulder blade that sticks out. A smaller group of people develop longer-lasting nerve pain. Gentle exercises, skin care, desensitisation techniques, physiotherapy and, when needed, nerve pain medicines prescribed by your doctor can all help. It is always worth reporting new or worsening symptoms so they can be checked properly.

Very common and usually harmless

Numbness in the inner arm and armpit affects many people after node surgery.

Often improves slowly

Nerves heal gradually, so changes may take many months to settle.

Help is available

Physiotherapy, skin techniques and nerve pain treatment can ease symptoms.

Knowing what to expect can take some of the worry out of these symptoms.

Some numbness may stay

A patch of reduced feeling can be permanent, though many people stop noticing it over time.

Recovery is slow and uneven

Nerves heal very slowly, and good and bad days are normal.

Surgeons cannot always spare every nerve

Sometimes a nerve runs through tissue that must be removed to treat the cancer safely.

What this page cannot tell you

It cannot tell you which nerve is affected or how much you will recover. Your surgeon or physiotherapist can examine you and advise.

If symptoms are troublesome, your team has several options.

Physiotherapy

A physiotherapist can assess muscle weakness, help with shoulder movement and teach desensitisation and strengthening exercises.

Nerve pain medicines

Ordinary painkillers often do little for nerve pain. Your doctor may suggest medicines that calm nerve signals, started at a low dose and adjusted carefully.

Specialist pain services

For pain that lasts many months, a pain clinic may offer nerve blocks, skin patches, psychological approaches and other treatments.