What's Sooooo Funny?

Why is it called a “funny bone” when it’s not a bone and isn’t funny when you hit it? 

Funny Bone

You know the sensation; you hit your elbow on a hard surface and you feel shooting pains or a “tingling” sensation down the length of your arm to your fingers. What causes that?

The humerous is the upper arm bone that connects your shoulder to your elbow. At the elbow, it joins with the two more bones, the radius and the ulna. The ulnar nerve lies in a ridge along the ulna bone. It controls the movement in your wrist, ring finger and pinky.

Since there is very little muscle around the elbow, the ulnar nerve is close to the surface of the skin. So, when you hit your “funny bone” you are actually hitting the ulnar nerve, which sends a pins and needles sensation from your elbow, down your forearm, and into your wrist and fingers. Which is rarely funny!

Dr. Scott  Asks some important questions of interest to Prescott residents - Chiropractor Prescott Dr. Scott Asks...

What's a side effect?
It may sound like a bonus; something extra, but chiropractors know it should more accurately called an "unintended effect," and "unwanted effect" or in some cases an "adverse effect." A pill can't come close to matching your body's ability to create and deliver the essential compounds it needs. That's when it's important to make sure your nervous system is working correctly—the purpose of chiropractic care!
Are aches and pains good or bad?
While aches or pains may be unpleasant, they're merely warning signs. As a Prescott chiropractor, I see this all the time. The pain is not the problem! It just means a limitation has been reached and something needs to change. That's when we get to work correcting the underlying cause.