The brain plays several tricks on us in a day. So, does hitting the funny bone really hurt that much, or is it just an illusion?
- Do you know that you can bite your fingers off your hand like a piece of carrot but your brain prevents you from doing so?
- Do you know that your nose is always visible to your eyes but your brain chooses to ignore it making your nose go out of sight?
- Do you know that your eyes actually see upside down and your brain converts the view to make it straight?
- Do you know that your brain chooses to ignore numerous changes and details just because it’s too lazy to remember them all?
Now that you know the tricks your brain can play on you, here is something about the funny bone that will baffle you.
Why Is It Called the Funny Bone?
The elbow bone is named the funny bone as a pun for the funny feeling you experience after bumping it into any hard surface. It was particularly named the funny bone following the upper arm bone termed the ‘Humerus’ that resembles the pronunciation of the word ‘Humorous’.
Why Does the Funny Bone Hurt So Much?
It’s not your brain but humans who have played a trick on you by naming the ulnar nerve the funny bone.
The hurt you experience when you bump your elbow is not because you hurt your bone but because you actually hurt the ulnar nerve that runs on the outside of your elbow bone making you feel extreme pain.
The Ulnar Nerve
The ulnar nerve begins at the spinal cord passing through your neck down your upper arm forking near your wrist with one end towards your pinky finger and the other towards your thumb.
The Ulnar nerve is secured by muscle, fat, or bone throughout its journey from the spine to the tips of your finger. Yet the bone near your elbows is hollow to help you fold your arms.
Thus, when you bump your elbow you are actually hitting your ulnar nerve with bone causing the onset of a sharp electrical pain that courses through your body and the numbness you experience following the pain.
Can Hitting the Funny Bone Be Fatal?
There is no exact way to treat the funny bone, you would have to let the pain and numbness subside by itself. The injury is not considered to be fatal but it can make you drop anything in your hand creating further trouble.
