Book 1, Question 17
Why Does Your Funny Bone Tingle? (Spoiler: It's Not a Bone!)
Ouch, zing! The funny bone is not really a bone at all. It is a nickname for a spot near your elbow where the ulnar nerve runs close to the surface, in a groove near the humerus bone. When you bump it, the nerve gets squished or stretched for a second and sends a burst of signals, which feels like tingling. The name is a pun on humerus, the bone in your upper arm.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 1
More fun facts
- The ulnar nerve tells your brain what your fourth and fifth fingers, your ring finger and pinky, are feeling.
- That is why a funny bone bump often makes your ring finger and pinky tingle.
- The ulnar nerve also helps move your forearm, hand, and fingers. It helps you grip things and do careful jobs like writing.
- It carries messages about touch, temperature, and pain from your hand to your brain.
- Tapping your funny bone does not damage your elbow, arm, or ulnar nerve.
- The ulnar nerve is one of five nerve branches that come from a bundle called the brachial plexus, near your neck and shoulder.
- People also talk about a funny bone when they mean a sense of humor. If a joke tickles your funny bone, it made you laugh.
Sources: KidsHealth (Nemours), Cleveland Clinic
Questions kids ask
Does hitting your funny bone hurt your arm?
It feels strange, but tapping your funny bone does not damage your elbow, arm, or the nerve.
Why do my pinky and ring finger tingle?
The ulnar nerve carries feelings from those two fingers, so bumping it makes them tingle.