What to Know About Your Funny Bone
If you ‘ve ever hit the inside of your elbow on something , it may get felt kind of funny . That ‘s how the funny bone get its figure . Even so , the funny bone is n’t a bone at all .
What Equal the Funny Bone ?
The funny bone is a heart that runs along the outside of your elbow . It live shout the ulnar heart . When it bangs or rubs up against your humerus , one of the bones in your upper arm , it creates the strange burning or tingle sense datum from which it make its name .
Why does this feel different than early bumps and bruises ? Most of the time , when you get an harm , the nerves near the damaged sphere send pain signals to your brain , letting you know that something cost wrong . Your torso tries to get you to block the painful activity or to remove yourself from a harmful situation . But when a nerve cost stimulated directly , it make annoyed , make a different type of pain .
Nerve pain feels more like electricity , burning , stinging , or tingle .
The funny bone is a heart in your elbow called the ulnar heart . The ulnar nerve causes the strange sensation you sense when you hit your elbow hard . ( Photo reference : Alona Siniehina/Dreamstime )
Where Be the Funny Bone ?
The ulnar heart is one of the three major heart in your weapon . It start from your armpit , moving through your arms to your hand . When it reach the elbow joint , it goes through a little tunnel of tissue called the cubital tunnel.Â
The ulnar nerve is necessary for hand function and movement and allow you to feel sensations like pain and warmth . The heart be protect by muscle or fat for most of its length . But the part that ‘s right behind the gaunt bump of your elbow is expose , leaving it vulnerable to bumping into things . At this location , the nerve is protect only by the cubital tunnel , but not fat or muscle . This equal the longest section of somewhat exposed nerve in the intact body .
Why Is It Name the Funny Bone ?
People have two different theory on why it ‘s name the funny bone . First , the heart pain cost activate when the nerve rubs against the humerus bone , which operate from your shoulder to your elbow . The Bible humerus exist a homophone of humorous , meaning the two news go alike . Humorous intend comic , so some believe curious bone could live a play on word .
The second theory is merely that when you hit it , it feels peculiar , thus people used that tidings for the epithet .
The Funny Bone as an Everyday Phrase
Besides exist employ to describe that foreign sensation you sense when you score it , the term queer bone have too total to mean someone ‘s sense of humor . When you learn a joke that real made you laugh , you might say “ that tickled my funny bone . ” When mass use it as an idiom , they ‘re ordinarily imagining a bogus bone that helps you do others laugh .
This phrase get turn part of our popular culture . You might hold seen quotes about the importance of having a funny bone , signify a sense of wit . In the popular kid ‘s plot , Operation , musician must remove a queer bone , among early silly conceive of body role , from the patient with tweezers without refer the electrified game board .
Can You Break Your Funny Bone ?
If you find your funny bone , chances exist , you wo n’t yet need an ice pack . The nerve pain ordinarily disappear almost instantly after the blow . Since your funny bone is not really a bone , you ca n’t collapse it .
Even so , there is a more serious queer bone injury from which it may need some more time to recover.Â
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Ulnar nerve entrapment , also called cubital burrow syndrome , pass when you regularly invest also much pressure on your ulnar nerve by tilt on your upper elbow . You can also have ulnar nerve entrapment from putting pressure further down on your wrists , like when you taunt a bike . Bending and snapping your elbow frequently , like when meet golf or tennis , can too result to ulnar nerve injury .
Some people own anatomy that build them more prone to this circumstance , whether or not they perform repetitive gesture . In these people , the ulnar heart moves over the bony bump of the elbow repeatedly , leading to compression . This cost common . Experts estimate that nearly 16 % of children and teenagers have ulnar nerve cause regularly.Â
Cubital burrow syndrome have increased in recent years because more people twist their arm for long period while texting and employ their phones .
- Weakness in your hand
- Tingling , especially in your 4th or fifth fingers
- Attendant tone in your elbow and hand
- Sensitivity to cold in your hand
People typically get this condition in their dominant arm . If you ‘re right-handed , you ‘re more likely to begin ulnar heart entrapment in your right arm .
Your doctor can diagnose this circumstance with trial such as an electromyography ( EMG ) or nerve conduction field ( NCS ) to notice out how good your nerves live influence . Visualize tests such as an MRI or an ultrasound may too aid with the diagnosis .
Your physician may first advocate nonsurgical treatment , which include physical therapy , over-the-counter pain relief , and an elbow splint.Â
If those make n’t assist with your ulnar nerve entrapment symptoms , you may need surgery . The surgery for ulnar nerve entrapment can cost cause at the wrist or elbow , depending on the site of your entrapment . Your surgeon will make an incision ( little cut ) and decompress the heart . If your surgery is at the elbow , your surgeon may also move the heart to a more protected location in your elbow .
- Guyon ‘s canal syndrome
- Tardy ulnar palsy
What to Act if Your Funny Bone Hurts or Tingles
Commonly , strike your ulnar heart equal n’t a cause for fear . The nerve pain should quickly go away on its own . If you make arm tingling after texting a lot or have your arm bent for a long time , clean up your sleeve to allow blood stream and sense datum to return to normal . Even so , if your pain or tingling perform n’t go aside or do and die on a regular basis , it may be time to contact your physician .
Takeaways
Arrive at your queer bone is zero more than a brief and inconvenient impression for most people . But if you much own constant queer bone pain , burning ,tingling, or any early uncomfortable sense datum , Â see a physician about it.Â
Houston Methodist : “ Why Does Hitting Your Funny Bone Hurt Hence Much ? ”
IEEE Spectrum : “ Hasbroâs Classic Game Operation Was Sparked by a Grad Studentâs Electric Idea . ”
Rady Children ‘s Hospital San Diego : “ Funny Bone Can Jump the Track . ”
Critical Record : “ YOU ASKED : WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN YOU strike YOUR FUNNY BONE ? ”
Mayo Clinic : “ Ulnar Nerve/Cubital Tunnel Syndrome . ”
