Have you experienced a funny or weird feel when the inside of your elbow hits a hard surface? It is a sensation which is difficult to explain in words. We call it as hitting the funny bones. Why does the funny bone act funny? Let us find out some interesting facts about funny bone.
Funny bone – real name
The biggest surprise element in the interesting facts about funny bone is that it is not a bone at all. What we call as funny bone is in fact a nerve called ulnar nerve. It is a nerve that starts from the spine and goes through the shoulder all the way down to the little finger.
Ulnar nerve is the largest nerve in the human body which is unprotected by a muscle or bone. So it is easily prone to injuries. It is connected to the little finger and a part of the ring finger, and helps in controlling the movements of hands.
A funny bone hit
How can one explain the sensation that you feel when you hit your funny bone? Is it an excruciating pain? No. It is more of a tingling feeling that shoots down the forearm and lasts only for a few seconds most of the time. You feel like you are suddenly hit by an electric shock. That sudden jolt of the hand gives a funny feel for sure.
As the ulnar nerve goes down the hand, it passes the elbow. At the area near the elbow, the nerve is sandwiched between the bone and the skin. So it is left without any cushioning or protection. And when we hit at this exact point, we get a strange tingling or numbness.
Do you laugh when you get a funny bone hit?
The way we react to the strange sensation differs from person to person. Some of us just laugh when we get the tingling or tickly feeling. Some of us rub the area to make it vanish as quickly as possible. But most of us don’t give it much attention. Funny bone pain happens only for a fleeting moment after all!
Why the name funny bone?
There are several speculations about why the ulnar nerve is referred to as the funny bone. According to some, it is called so because of the funny feeling that we get on being hit. There is another reasoning that the usage is a pun intended to show a connection to the word, ‘humerus,’ which is the name of the bone in the upper arm. Humerus closely resembles ‘humorous,’ which means funny. So we can conclude that the funny bone is aptly named.
Is a funny bone hit harmful?
There is nothing to worry if you get a funny bone elbow hit. The pain normally lasts for a few seconds and will vanish on its own. But if the pain or tingling persists for a long time, it is time to get a medical advice. It could be an indication of some underlying medical condition.
Is there anyone who hasn’t yet experienced a funny bone hit? Just go ahead, aim properly, and hit your funny bone on purpose, to get that funny feel.
Did you enjoy the interesting facts about funny bone? Find more of such interesting reads in our Fascinating Facts section.
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