What is the Funny Bone?

Imagine you are in school and sitting at your desk. As you reach your arm up to raise your hand, you hit the inside of your elbow on the desk, and – ouch! Suddenly you feel a weird tingling from your elbow all the way down to your fingers!

Maybe you walk by the kitchen in your house and accidentally bump your elbow on the counter. Now your arm and hand have a prickly, tingling feeling.

Has this ever happened to you? This odd feeling in your arm and hand means that you hit your funny bone.

Fun fact: The funny bone is actually a nerve that you have in both arms! So why do we call it a funny bone? You feel a strange sensation when you accidentally hit the ulnar (UHL-ner) nerve. It's near the humerus (HYOO-muh-ruhs) bone in your elbow.

The ulnar nerve communicates with your brain. It tells your arm to move and your fingers to grip certain items. When you hold a pencil, open and close your hand, or reach above your head, this is your ulnar nerve hard at work.

The ulnar nerve also helps with feeling in your pinky and ring fingers, as well as other parts of your hand. This is why you get that tingling sensation in those fingers when you hit your funny bone.

The tingling feeling after hitting your funny bone only lasts a few seconds. However, there are times when it could last longer or happen more often.

For example:

• A sports injury in the arm could affect your ulnar nerve, making it difficult to catch or throw a ball. • Using crutches or wearing a cast can also put pressure on the ulnar nerve. This can lead to that funny bone sensation. Your doctor can help to adjust your crutches or cast to protect your ulnar nerve. • Even sleeping on your arms at night can affect your ulnar nerves. Have you ever woken up after a long night of sleep with a tingling in your arm?

If you notice that funny bone feeling more often, talk to your doctor. He or she can help you figure out how to fix the problem and what to avoid in order to prevent pressure on the ulnar nerves.

How can you protect your ulnar nerve?

Just like any other part of the body, it is super important to make sure that you are getting enough rest. Sleep is essential to helping your body recover and feel ready for a new day. Exercise and healthy eating can also help to keep your nerves and bones strong.