Why is the humerus called the funny bone?

Why is the humerus called the funny bone?

The “funny bone” got its nickname because of that funny feeling you get after you hit it. But your funny bone isn’t actually a bone at all. Running down the inside part of your elbow is a nerve called the ulnar nerve. The ulnar nerve lets your brain know about feelings in your fourth and fifth fingers.

What happens when you hit your ulnar nerve?

The ulnar nerve is what creates the shock-like sensation when you hit the funny bone in your elbow. You may lose sensation and have muscle weakness in your hand if you damage your ulnar nerve. This is known as ulnar nerve palsy or ulnar neuropathy.

What happens when you hit funny bone?

In the case of hitting your funny bone, squashing your ulnar nerve into your medial epicondyle bone is irritating. And you feel this nerve pain in the areas where your ulnar nerve provides sensation, resulting in an unpleasant, shocking sensation shooting down your forearm and into your fingers.

Why does your funny bone tingle when you hit it?

“When your elbow is extended, this area is protected, but, if the elbow is bent, it opens up this sensitive area. When you hit that groove, you’re actually pinching the nerve, which is why you experience moderate discomfort and a tingling feeling down the arm.”

Is it possible to hit your funny bone too hard?

If you’ve ever hit your elbow, or “funny bone,” hard and felt a tingling down to your fingers, you’ve compressed your ulnar nerve. Leaning on your elbow for a long time can also irritate the nerve.

How long does it take for funny bone pain to go away?

The good news is that most cases are managed conservatively — by taking weight off the fractured bone, as with crutches, immobilizing the injured area and allowing the bone to heal itself. Depending on the location of the fracture, a person can usually return to weight-bearing activities in three to 12 weeks.

What part of the body is the humerus?

upper arm
The humerus is the bone in your upper arm. It’s located between your elbow and your shoulder, and consists of several parts that allow it to move freely in different directions. Your humerus has important functions related to both movement and support.

Where is the funny bone in your hand?

The funny bone is actually the ulnar nerve, a nerve that runs from the neck all the way to the hand, where it innervates several muscles in the hand and forearm and ends in two branches that…

What happens when you hit Your Funny Bone?

When you hit your funny bone, you’re actually hitting the nerve against bone and compressing it. The result is an exhilarating cocktail of numbness, tingling and pain that shoots through the areas where the nerve does its work: down the forearm and hand and into the ring and pinky fingers.

How did the Funny Bone get its name?

The humerus has a similar pronunciation to the word ‘humorous’, which means hilarious and hence the name funny bone. On the other side, the funny bone name is said to have come from the amusement sensation one gets after knocking the back part of the elbow.

Why is the ulnar nerve called the funny bone?

This nerve, one of the three main nerves in the arm, runs from the neck area and extends to the hand. The ulnar nerve innervates muscles of the forearm, hand and two fingers (the ring and pinky fingers). It is believed to have been named the “funny bone,” because the nerve corresponds to the humerus bone (which sounds like humorous, as in funny).