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Numbness under the arm after a mastectomy | CION Cancer Clinics
The numb patch under the arm and along the inner upper arm after a mastectomy comes from a small skin nerve that runs straight through the area where the lymph nodes are removed. It is expected, it does not weaken the arm, and it usually improves over months, though it may not go completely. This page explains why it happens, what the area can feel like, and how to keep numb skin safe. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Why is the skin under the arm numb after a mastectomy?
- What can the area feel like?
- How does the numbness change over time?
- What the surgeon means when they explain it
- What families say about the numbness, and what is actually true
- What this page cannot tell you, and how to protect the area
- Common questions about numbness after mastectomy
The short answer
Why is the skin under the arm numb after a mastectomy?
The numb patch under the arm and along the inner upper arm is caused by a small skin nerve that runs straight through the area where the lymph nodes are removed. It is very often stretched or cut during the operation. The numbness is expected, it is not a sign that anything went wrong, and it usually improves over months, though it may not go completely.
Which nerve, and why it is in the way
The nerve is called the intercostobrachial nerve. It comes out between the ribs, crosses the armpit and supplies feeling to the skin of the armpit and the inside of the upper arm. It sits exactly among the lymph nodes (the small glands under the arm) that the surgeon needs to remove or check. Surgeons try to spare it, but a full clearance of the nodes makes that harder.
Why the chest is numb too
The skin of the breast has its own small nerves, and removing the breast cuts through them. So most people also have a numb area across the chest wall and around the scar, which follows the same slow pattern of partial recovery.
What decides how much comes back
A nerve that was stretched or bruised recovers more than a nerve that was cut. A sentinel node biopsy, where only a few nodes are taken, disturbs it less than a full clearance. Radiotherapy afterwards can slow recovery. None of this can be predicted exactly for one person.
Not only numbness
What can the area feel like?
A damaged skin nerve does not simply switch off. It can send odd signals, and those change over time. All of these are common.
A dead or woolly patch
Touch is dull or absent, as if the skin belongs to someone else. Many people first notice it while bathing. This is the most common pattern and the one most likely to stay in some form.
Pins and needles or tingling
A buzzing or crawling feeling that comes and goes. It often appears weeks after surgery and is usually a sign of the nerve starting to recover, not of something new going wrong.
Sharp, burning or electric shocks
Brief shooting pains under the arm or down the inner arm, sometimes set off by a light touch or by clothing. This is nerve pain, and it has its own treatment if it lasts. Tell your surgeon rather than putting up with it.
Over-sensitive skin
The opposite of numb. A sleeve or a bra strap feels unbearable on the patch. Rubbing the area gently with different fabrics each day helps the nerve settle down.
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Ask an oncologistWhat to expect
How does the numbness change over time?
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The first weeks
The patch is at its largest and most complete. The armpit, the back of the upper arm and the chest around the scar all feel dead. This is the expected starting point.
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The first months
The edges of the patch start to shrink inwards. Tingling, itching and odd shooting sensations appear as the nerve endings try to regrow. This stage can be more irritating than the numbness itself.
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Six months to a year
Most of the recovery that is going to happen has happened. The chest wall often regains some dull sensation. The centre of the underarm patch may still be numb.
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Beyond a year
Whatever numbness remains is likely to stay, and most people stop noticing it in daily life. Ongoing pain, rather than numbness, is the thing to report at this stage, because it can be treated.
!
Numbness that needs a call the same day
A numb patch of skin is expected. What is not expected is new weakness in the hand or arm, numbness spreading into the fingers, or numbness that arrives with a hot, red, swollen arm or a fever. Those point to a different problem, such as an infection or a clot, and need to be seen that day.
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Words you will hear
What the surgeon means when they explain it
- Intercostobrachial nerve
- The skin nerve that runs from between the ribs across the armpit to the inner upper arm. Damage to it is the usual cause of the numb patch.
- Axillary clearance
- Removal of most of the lymph nodes under the arm. The nerve is more often cut in this operation than in a sentinel node biopsy.
- Neuroma
- A small tender knot that can form at the cut end of a nerve. It can cause sharp pain on pressure and is treatable.
- Post-mastectomy pain
- Nerve-type pain in the chest, armpit or arm that continues well after the wound has healed. It has its own treatments, so it should be reported, not endured.
Commonly believed
What families say about the numbness, and what is actually true
"The numbness means the surgeon made a mistake."
The nerve that gives feeling to the underarm runs through the lymph nodes the surgeon has to remove. Stretching or cutting it is a known part of the operation, discussed before consent. A numb patch is the expected result, not an error.
"If it is still numb after a few months, the cancer is back."
Numbness from a cut skin nerve has nothing to do with the cancer. It is slow to improve and may never fully go. A new lump in the scar or armpit should be examined, but numbness alone is not a sign of anything returning.
"Rubbing oil on it every day will bring the feeling back."
Massage will not regrow a nerve, but gentle rubbing with different textures does help the brain get used to the changed signals, and it keeps the skin healthy. Do it for comfort, not as a treatment with a promised result.
"She cannot feel it, so it cannot hurt."
The numb area can still be burned, scalded or cut without her noticing until later. Numb skin needs more care, not less. Check it after cooking, be careful with hot water bottles, and look at it in a mirror now and then.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you, and how to protect the area
This page cannot tell you how much feeling will come back for you, or when. Only time answers that, and the answer is different for everyone. What it can tell you is how to live safely with skin that does not feel properly.
Everyday precautions
Shave the armpit with an electric razor or not at all, because you will not feel a nick. Test bath water with the other hand. Keep hot pans and pressure-cooker steam away from that side. Use a mirror to check the skin for redness or cuts. Moisturise, because dry numb skin cracks without you knowing.
Pain is different from numbness
Numbness is put up with. Ongoing burning, shooting or electric pain is not something to put up with, because there are medicines designed for nerve pain and simple techniques a physiotherapist can teach. Ask at any follow-up visit. Do not start or change any medicine on your own.
If the area has become painful rather than numb, or you are worried about a lump in the scar, call the helpline and we will arrange for a surgeon to look.Questions we are asked
Common questions about numbness after mastectomy
Will the feeling under my arm come back?
Usually partly, and sometimes fully. The edge of the numb patch tends to shrink over months as the nerve endings regrow. The centre of the patch, directly under the arm, is the part most likely to stay numb. Nobody can promise which pattern you will follow.
Why does it tingle and itch now when it was completely numb before?
That is usually the nerve waking up. Regrowing nerve endings send confused signals, which the brain reads as itching, tingling or crawling. It is a good sign in the long run even though it is annoying now.
Does the numbness mean my arm is weak?
No. The nerve involved carries feeling only. The nerves that move the arm and hand run deeper and are protected during the operation. If you do notice weakness in the hand, a wrist that drops, or fingers that will not grip, that is a different problem and should be checked the same day.
I get sharp shocks under the arm when clothes touch it. Is that normal?
It is common and it is nerve pain rather than skin damage. It often eases as the nerve settles. If it continues, stops you sleeping or makes you avoid using the arm, tell your surgeon. There are medicines for nerve pain and techniques that reduce the sensitivity over time.
Can I shave or use hair-removal cream on that side?
Wait until the wound is fully healed and your surgeon has said it is fine. Then use an electric razor rather than a blade, because you will not feel a cut. Skip hair-removal creams on numb skin, since you cannot feel the burning that warns you to wash them off.
Is there a lump in the numb area? It feels different.
The scar tissue itself often feels firm and ridged, and a small tender knot at a cut nerve end is also common. Even so, any new lump in the scar, the chest wall or the armpit should be examined by your surgeon rather than watched at home. That is a rule for life after this operation.
Will radiotherapy make the numbness worse?
It can slow the recovery of the nerve and can make the skin of the area more sensitive for a while. It does not usually create new numbness on its own. Tell the radiotherapy team about the numb patch so they can check the skin there for you during treatment, since you may not feel soreness developing.
Will the numb patch affect getting a blood pressure check or an injection?
The numbness itself does not. The reason many teams ask you to use the other arm for blood pressure cuffs, blood tests and injections is the risk of long-term arm swelling after node removal, not the numbness. Ask your surgeon what they advise, and tell any nurse or lab which side had the surgery.
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Sources
- American Cancer Society — Mastectomy
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for breast cancer
- NHS — Mastectomy
- National Cancer Institute — Nerve Problems and Cancer Treatment
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.
Keep reading
Related pages
Shoulder Stiffness and Cording After MastectomyThe other common change under the arm, and how it is treatedPreventing Lymphoedema After MastectomyWhy the operated arm is protected from cuffs and injectionsThe Mastectomy Scar: What It Looks Like Over TimeThe numb chest wall and the scar change togetherPain After Cancer SurgeryNerve pain after surgery and what is done about itFollow-Up and Screening After MastectomyWhat is checked at each visit, including the scar and armpit
Talk to us
Is the area painful rather than numb?
Call the helpline or send us a message. A CION surgical team member will listen to what you are feeling and arrange for a surgeon to examine the area if it needs a look. One helpline serves every centre.