What happens when you hit your elbow? – ZAP News

What causes this sensation is a nerve, called the ulnar nerve, which runs from the neck down to the fingers.

We all know the feeling: being completely distracted and lost in your thoughts, when you accidentally elbow on a surface that shouldn’t be there, and a strange, painful sensation ensues. anthill down the arm.

Although you are almost certainly familiar with the acute pain that comes from shock, you may not know the causes of this phenomenon.

First, there is no problem with the bones. In fact, what causes this sensation is a nerve, called ulnar nervewhich extends from the neck to the fingers while transmitting information to and from the brain. Specifically, it allows us to register the sensations of our ring fingers and helps us to move these limbs, as well as our forearms and hands.

For the most part, this bundle of nerves is protected by layers of bone, muscle and fat, but how does it work? beyond of the elbow, a small part is exposed. It travels behind the medial epicondyle—the bony ridge inside the elbow—along a short canal called the cubital tunnel.

The ulnar nerve passes through the bony hook at the elbow, where the radius and ulna meet the humerusexplains the IFL Science.

Here it is sandwiched between bone and skin, unprotected and almost ask for a shock with a sharp edge. When this happens, the result is an excessive amount of pain, as the vulnerable ulnar nerve is temporarily crushed between the offending object and the bone in the elbow. The sensation settles over the arm, leaving us with that strange electrical numbness of shock.

It is similar to what happens when the limbs “fall asleep”: the nerves are tight and we experience that similar feeling of needles.

Usually, when the nerve is hit, the sensation is fleeting, disappearing in a few minutes. However, prolonged or persistent pain has been known to occur with cubital tunnel syndrome, which occurs when the cubital tunnel becomes inflamedswollen, or irritated, often due to already existing injuries.

A single bump to the elbow may not be the funniest feeling, but remember it could be worse.