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How a nerve block eases pain after your operation | CION Cancer Clinics
A nerve block is an injection of numbing medicine near the nerves that carry feeling from the area being operated on. It keeps that area numb for many hours, so you wake with less pain and need fewer strong pain medicines. This page explains which blocks are used for which operations, what happens as they wear off, and who they may not suit. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What is a nerve block, and how does it help pain after surgery?
- Which nerve blocks are used for which operations?
- What happens from the injection to it wearing off?
- What do people get wrong about nerve blocks?
- Who may a nerve block not suit, and what should you watch for?
- How do you look after a numb area?
- What do the words about your pain relief mean?
- Common questions about nerve blocks
The short answer
What is a nerve block, and how does it help pain after surgery?
A nerve block is an injection of numbing medicine next to the nerves that carry feeling from the part of your body being operated on. It numbs that area for many hours, so you wake with less pain and need fewer strong pain medicines.
It is usually added, not used instead
For most cancer operations, a nerve block is given together with general anaesthesia. You are asleep for the operation. The block keeps the area numb afterwards. For some small operations on an arm or leg, a block alone may be enough.
Why less pain helps recovery
When pain is controlled, you can breathe deeply, cough, sit up and walk sooner. That lowers the chance of a chest infection and clots. Needing fewer strong pain medicines, such as morphine, can also mean less sickness, drowsiness and constipation.
How it is guided
The anaesthetist usually uses an ultrasound picture to see the nerves and the needle on a screen. This lets the medicine be placed precisely.
A block wears off. It is one part of a pain plan, not the whole plan.Names you may hear
Which nerve blocks are used for which operations?
Each block numbs a particular area. Which one is offered depends on where the surgeon works.
Chest wall blocks
Used for breast surgery. They numb the chest wall and sometimes the armpit.
You may see
- PECS block
- Paravertebral block
Tummy wall blocks
Used for bowel, gynaecological and other tummy operations. They numb the skin and muscle of the tummy wall, but not the organs inside.
You may see
- TAP block
- Rectus sheath block
Blocks beside the spine
An erector spinae block places medicine in the muscles of the back. It is used for chest and upper tummy operations.
Arm and leg blocks
Used for operations on a limb, such as removing a lump. The whole arm or part of the leg can be numb.
Wound tubes
The surgeon lays a thin tube along the wound. Numbing medicine runs through it slowly for a day or more.
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What happens from the injection to it wearing off?
-
Before the operation
The anaesthetist explains the block and checks which side is being operated on. The side may be marked on your skin.
-
The injection
It is often given once you are asleep. If you are awake, the skin is numbed first and you feel cold gel and some pressure.
-
Waking up
The area feels numb, heavy or strange. A blocked arm may not move properly for some hours. This is expected.
-
The first hours
Pain is usually much less. Keep taking your regular pain medicines on time, even when you feel comfortable. Use this easier time to sit up, breathe deeply and take short walks with help.
-
Wearing off
Pins and needles come first, then feeling and some pain return. Ask for pain medicine as the tingling starts, rather than waiting for strong pain.
Commonly believed
What do people get wrong about nerve blocks?
"With a block, I will not need any other pain relief."
A block wears off, often while you are still in hospital. Regular pain medicines are started alongside it so there is no gap when feeling returns.
"A numb arm means a nerve has been damaged."
Numbness is what the block is meant to do, and feeling returns as the medicine wears off. Lasting nerve damage is rare. Tell the team if numbness lasts much longer than you were told.
"A block means I will not be put to sleep."
For most cancer operations, you are still fully asleep. The block is there for the pain afterwards, not to replace the anaesthetic.
"Strong painkillers are the only real pain relief."
Combining a block with simpler medicines often controls pain well, and with fewer side effects than relying on strong medicines alone.
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Being straight with you
Who may a nerve block not suit, and what should you watch for?
A nerve block is not offered for every operation or every person. Your anaesthetist weighs the benefit against the risk for you.
When it may not be offered
An infection in the skin where the needle would go, a bleeding problem or blood thinners for deeper blocks, and a true allergy to numbing medicines can each rule it out. Some existing nerve conditions matter too. For some operations the surgeon needs to check how a nerve works straight after, so a block would get in the way. You can also say no.
Signs to report straight away
Rarely, the numbing medicine reaches the blood in too high a level. Tell the nurse at once if you notice numbness around the lips, a metallic taste, ringing in the ears, dizziness or sudden confusion.
When a block does not fully work
Sometimes a block numbs only part of the area, or wears off sooner than expected. This is not a mistake by you or the team. Tell the nurse about any pain, so other pain relief can be given without delay.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which block suits your operation, or whether your centre offers a particular one. Ask your anaesthetist at the check before surgery.
While it is numb
How do you look after a numb area?
- Keep a numb arm supported in a sling if you are given one
- Do not walk alone on a leg that feels weak or numb
- Keep numb skin away from hot water bottles and heaters
- Change position so you do not lie on the numb area for long
- Take your pain medicines on time, before the block wears off
- Tell the team if numbness lasts longer than you were told
On your chart
What do the words about your pain relief mean?
- Local anaesthetic
- The numbing medicine used in a nerve block. Lidocaine and bupivacaine are common names.
- Ultrasound-guided
- The anaesthetist watched the nerves and needle on an ultrasound screen while giving the block.
- Catheter
- Here, a thin tube left near the nerves or in the wound so numbing medicine can keep running.
- Opioids
- Strong pain medicines such as morphine or tramadol. A block often means you need less of them.
- Multimodal pain relief
- Using several kinds of pain relief together, such as a block, paracetamol and other medicines, so each can be kept lower.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about nerve blocks
How long does a nerve block last?
It depends on the medicine used and where it was placed. A single injection usually lasts many hours, and some last into the next day. When a thin tube is left in, the numbness can be kept going for longer. Your anaesthetist can tell you what to expect for your block.
Does the nerve block injection hurt?
Many blocks are given after you are asleep, so you feel nothing. If you are awake, the skin is numbed first. You may feel pressure, or a brief odd feeling as the medicine goes in. Tell the anaesthetist if you feel sharp pain or a shooting feeling.
Will my arm or leg be weak afterwards?
Some blocks make the limb weak as well as numb, for as long as the block lasts. Others affect feeling more than strength. Do not try to walk on a numb leg without help, and support a numb arm. Strength returns as the medicine wears off.
What does it feel like when the block wears off?
Usually tingling or pins and needles first, then warmth and normal feeling, and then some pain from the wound. It can happen quite quickly, sometimes at night. Ask for pain medicine as soon as the tingling starts so pain does not build up before it takes effect.
Is a nerve block the same as an epidural?
No. An epidural numbs both sides of the body from a tube in the back. A nerve block numbs a smaller area served by particular nerves, often on one side. Nerve blocks are often chosen for keyhole or breast operations, where an epidural would numb more than needed.
Can I have a nerve block if I take blood thinners?
Often yes for blocks near the surface, where bleeding can be seen and pressed on. Deeper blocks need more care. Never stop a blood thinner on your own. Bring every medicine to your check, and your doctors will decide together what is safe.
Can a nerve block cause lasting damage?
Lasting nerve damage is rare. Some people have tingling or a small numb patch for weeks, which usually settles. Serious reactions to the numbing medicine are rare too. If numbness or weakness lasts longer than you were told, tell your team so it can be checked.
Will I still need pain tablets at home?
Most people do. The block will have worn off by the time you go home, and the wound will still be healing. You will be given a written plan for pain medicines. Take them as instructed, and call the team if the pain is not controlled.
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Sources
- NHS — Local anaesthesia
- Royal College of Anaesthetists — Information for patients and carers
- Cancer.Net — What to expect when having surgery
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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