What is the funny bone and what’s so funny about it?  Do you remember the last time you hit your funny bone?  Were you rolling on the floor laughing?  Probably not…it likely resembled something more like weeping and wailing! The truth is, there is NOTHING funny about your funny bone, in fact, it isn’t even a bone!  It is actually a nerve you are hitting; the ulnar nerve to be exact.  It’s anybody’s guess where the name came from.  It could be because that tingling, hair raising feeling is funny, in an odd way.  It’s a sensation we don’t really experience except when we hit that sweet spot!  The ulnar nerve runs down along the Humerus bone; hence the relationship between the funny bone and humerus bone. At any rate, hitting this nerve serves up a wonderful surprise of tingling, numbing, mind jolting pain and that, my friends, is not funny!  It’s bad enough whacking your arm every now and again but imagine if something chronic went wrong with your Ulnar Nerve! So, what does the Ulnar Nerve do?  Well, its main responsibility is to move the hand.  It also tells your brain what the pinkie and ring finger are feeling.  It is your main squeeze and is the mechanism that allows you to spread your fingers apart and close them again.  It’s got a big job! If you irritate or damage this nerve, chances are you will experience terrible pain and even lose mobility in your hand and fingers.  The nerve passes very close to the surface of the arm, near the elbow, as it travels from the pinkie fingers, clear up to the shoulder.   This is why banging your elbow can be so excruciating and risky! Take care of your arm and elbow.  If you find yourself in a project that requires you to lean on your arm, keep some padding below it.  Take time to stretch your arm and keep it mobile.  Wear protective elbow pads when engaging in high impact activities.  There is nothing funny about your funny bone!