Squeaks and I just got back from playing in a big pile of leaves near the Fort. But something strange happened. When we came inside for lunch, I accidentally bumped my elbow against the table, and it really hurt! Even weirder, I felt pain all the way down my arm to my fingers, even though only my elbow hit the table.
The part of the elbow I hit is called the funny bone. It’s more sensitive than other parts of your body, so if you accidentally bump it, it can really hurt. But here’s the interesting part: the funny bone isn’t a bone at all. It’s actually a nerve!
Nerves help information travel between your body and your brain. We have them all over our bodies, from our fingers to our toes. All these nerves together are called the nervous system. It helps us do everything, like feeling things when we touch them or seeing things with our eyes. Our nervous system is super important because it helps different parts of our body communicate with our brain.
You might wonder why we need to feel pain since it hurts. But our nervous system is actually helping us! For example, if I had some soup that was too hot, my nervous system would tell my brain, “That soup is too hot,” so I don’t burn my mouth. So, feeling pain can actually protect us.
Most of the time, our nervous system is protected by muscles. But on the little part of our elbow, the nerve isn’t protected. This nerve is called the ulnar nerve. It runs from your neck, down your shoulder, all the way to your hand. When you bump your elbow, the nerve hits against your bone, which is why it hurts so much. You can feel the pain all the way down to your fingers because of the ulnar nerve.
Even though getting hurt isn’t funny, there are two ideas about why it’s called the “funny bone.” One idea is that it’s near a bone called the humerus, which sounds like “humorous,” another word for funny. The other idea is that it feels funny, or weird, when you hit it.
So, now you know why bumping your funny bone hurts so much. But don’t worry, if you accidentally bump it, the pain will go away soon. Just be careful and try not to hit your elbow!
If you want to keep learning about the amazing ways our bodies work, make sure to join us next time here at the Fort!
