Medical Questions » Anaesthetics Questions » Question No. 42
| Question: | How do local anaesthetics work? My GP says he is going to fix my ingrown toenail with a nerve block into the base of the toe, but I am sure this will hurt. When he cut out a mole, the injection was into the mole, and it really stung a lot. |
| Answer: | Local anaesthetics are used in three different ways. A local area may be injected with anaesthetic solution to numb that area, for example while a mole is being cut out or a cut sutured. This method is commonly used by general practitioners, plastic surgeons, skin specialists and others for small procedures. The injection does sting for a few seconds, but this sensation subsides rapidly as the anaesthetic takes effect, and rarely lasts more than 30 seconds.
A local anaesthetic can also be injected around a nerve to stop that nerve from receiving pain impulses from beyond the point of injection. The injection may take several minutes to work after being given. These nerve blocks are commonly used in fingers and toes and in dental procedures, but almost any nerve in the body may be injected.
Sometimes, if a more major procedure is to be done on an arm or leg, a tourniquet can be placed around the thigh or upper arm and a large amount of anaesthetic injected into the dilated veins below the tourniquet to give a regional block. This effectively numbs the entire area below the tourniquet. This type of anaesthesia is commonly used to set minor fractures.
Your GP will ensure that you are feeling no pain before the operation commences, so do not be concerned about the procedure, and look forward to having a toe that is no longer giving you trouble.
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