• Question: What causes our funnybone to tickle/hurt when we hit it?

    Asked by dizzyg12 to Susan, Simon, Rachel, Lou on 12 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Susan Skelton

      Susan Skelton answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      Hi dizzyg! Good question!
      Actually the funny “bone” isn’t a bone at all – it’s actually the ulnar nerve which is a nerve which runs from the neck all the way to the hand.
      It is protected along most of its length by bones, muscles and ligaments but as it passes the elbow it is only protected by skin and fat, so it is vulnerable to being knocked!

      When you hit your funny bone, you’re actually squashing the nerve against the bone. That is what causes the numbness, tingling and pain that shoots down along the nerve to the hand.

    • Photo: Simon Langley-Evans

      Simon Langley-Evans answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      Dizzyg, I think Susan has covered that pretty well. Some people get the effect in other areas as well. When those nerves running down the arm reach the wrist they have to squeeze through a small bone tunnel to get into the hand. Some people develop a problem called carpal tunnel syndrome where that tunnel gets too small and presses the nerve all of the time. This makes their fingers go numb or tingly a lot of the time.

    • Photo: Rachel Dakin

      Rachel Dakin answered on 13 Nov 2013:

      Can’t say I’ve ever found it ticklish, just painful!!!
      Nerves are weird but cool.

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