This is my trick for less needle pain 

The needle poke before surgery or anesthesia can be fear provoking for so many of my patients. Here's the simple, safe trick I use to significantly decrease the discomfort and pain of needle pokes for IVs, nerve blocks, epidurals, spinals, and other needle pokes.
Instead of just inserting the 20 or 18 gauge needle, I first numb the skin with a tiny 30 gauge needle. This is sometimes called a tuberculin or insulin needle because it's a similar sized needle to the needles used for those injections.
Numbing the skin with this small needle makes the second, larger needle, much less painful. Often, that second needle in entirely painless!
All you need to do is ask your doctor or nurse. If it's safe and appropriate to use the 30 gauge needle first, many will!