Okay, let’s just get this out of the way now. The funny bone? Not the least bit humorous. In fact, one might even call it the Steve Urkel of body parts—painfully annoying and undeserving of even the slightest chuckle. Plus, the name is doubly misleading; not only are funny bones not funny, but they aren’t even bones! (When will the lies end?) But for all the falsehoods associated with them, there’s one universal truth we can count on when it comes to funny bones: when hit in just the right spot, they hurt like nothing else. What causes that numb, tingling pain that’s so unique to them? And if they aren’t really bones, then what are they?
Calling It a Funny Bone? The Nerve!
The origins of the term funny bone are often contested. Some believe it’s because the area in question is connected to the humerus, the long upper-arm bone. (Get it? Humerus … humorous! It’s about as funny as the funny bone.) Others argue it has to do with how strange the pain feels when you hit the “bone.” Either way, the name is inaccurate—what we call a bone is actually the ulnar nerve, which travels from the neck to the pinky and ring fingers. It’s responsible for movement and feeling in those two fingers and helps control wrist actions.Specifically, this nerve uses grooves in the ulna—one of the two forearm bones—and the humerus to do its business. In these areas, the nerve is protected by muscles and bones. But when it runs across the elbow, it encounters very little in the way of protection. That’s where it enters the cubital tunnel, which lacks cushioning muscle or ligaments and offers only a small section of skin, leaving the nerve vulnerable to outside forces.
So when we accidentally bang our flexed elbows against something and feel a sharp pain immediately, that’s the ulnar nerve crying out in protest. It’s being pressed against the humerus bone, which ends at the elbow joint. The tingling, numb sensation that comes shortly afterward travels the same course as the nerve would if it had not been stopped momentarily by accidentally hitting something. That’s why slamming your elbow against a wall, for example, gives the ring and pinky fingers of that arm a pins-and-needles feeling, too.
The Pain of Elbows Working Overtime
For most of us, this pain is temporary and occurs only during occasional bouts of clumsiness. But for those who suffer from a condition called cubital tunnel syndrome, the problem occurs much more often. The pain is akin to what people experience when they hit their ulnar nerve, except it occurs on a frequent basis and is concentrated mostly in the hand. Anything that engages the elbow directly (such as flexing it or leaning on it too much), wearing out and weakening the ulnar nerve, can cause cubital tunnel syndrome. Seriously hurting the elbow can bring about the condition as well.
To determine whether someone’s ulnar nerve has been injured enough to cause cubital tunnel syndrome, doctors run a series of nerve tests. A variety of methods can ease the symptoms, but the most effective one is resting the elbow and stopping whatever action damaged the nerve. Elbow pads, arthritis medication (to reduce inflammation), and surgery are also potential solutions, depending on the severity of the condition.
A Clumsy Plea for a Cure
I can’t count the number of times I’ve banged my elbow against a wall or a pole and clutched it in agony, embittered by the pain and my own ungainliness. Having to deal with that sort of pain on a habitual basis seems like a terrible way to go through life. Thank goodness there are ways for people to overcome this condition with proper treatment and support.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, the medical community has yet to find a way to end clumsiness—an affliction that also causes regular blows to the ulnar nerve and, worse yet, gives people nothing but their own lack of coordination to blame. Sure, constantly banging into inanimate objects might provoke a good guffaw from onlookers—hey, maybe that’s why they call it a funny bone—but believe me, when it’s your arm experiencing that tingling, cringe-worthy sensation, it’s no laughing matter.
Related Article from DivineCaroline.com:Carpal Tunnel Versus Tendonitis: What’s the Difference?
