The San Diego Chiropractor to see - Chiropractor San Diego

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!

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Dr. Chris Asks some important questions of interest to San Diego residents - Chiropractor San Diego Dr. Chris Asks...

Are chiropractors just concerned with the spine?
Our interest in the spine is because it covers the major communications conduit between your brain and your body. As a San Diego chiropractor my job is to locate areas (usually along the spine) that interfere with proper nerve communications to and from your brain. Chiropractic adjustments help restore nervous system integrity. In this way, chiropractic care can affect the function of your entire body.
Are aches and pains good or bad?
While aches or pains may be unpleasant, they're merely warning signs. As a San Diego 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.