Why does hitting your funny bone feel so horrible? - Cella Wright

Explore the complex anatomy of the elbow, and find out why hitting your funny bone causes such an odd and painful sensation.
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It's something we've all experienced: the back of your elbow smacks against a hard surface and the impact sends a sensation so distinctly disquieting shooting down your arm that it takes several moments to regain composure. So, why does hitting this spot on your elbow- commonly known as the funny bone- feel so weird? Cella Wright explains one of the most complicated joints in the body.
Lesson by Cella Wright, directed by Anton Bogaty.
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Animator's website: antonbogaty.com
Music: www.campstudio.co
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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Matthew Neal, Denis Chon, Julian Oberhofer, Monte Carroll, Eddy, Jay M, Constantino Victor Delgado, Andrea Galvagni, Andrew Tweddle, Laurel-Ann Rice, Fernando A. Endo, Helen Lee, pam morgan, sarim haq, Gerardo Castro, Michel-Ange Hortegat, Enes Kirimi, Amaury BISIAUX, ND, Samyogita Hardikar, Vanessa Graulich, Vandana Gunwani, Abdulmohsin Almadi, AJ Lyon, Geoffrey Bultitude, Mi Mi, Thomas Rothert, Brian Elieson, Oge O, Weronika Falkowska, Nevin Spoljaric, Sid Chanpuriya, Anoop Varghese, David Yastremski, Noah Webb, Roberto Chena, Oliver Koo, Luke Pisano, Andrea Gordon, Aleksandar Donev, Nicole Klau Ibarra, Jesse Lira, Ezekiel Raui, Petr Vacek, Dennis, Olivia Fu, Kari Teffeau, Cindy Lai, Rajath Durgada Manjunath and Dan Nguyen.

[@mlgcactus1035]

They better pay that man well for all those injuries

[@gregraj]

😂😂😂

[@samarthjain5015]

Instead they paid the cat.

[@edwarda.7864]

They probably threatened him like, "Slam your elbow on that table again, or we'll stop animating you right here and now. You'll never be able to move again."

[@ronmontoya3673]

Bayari nang nawng nimo na murag aswang

[@jonaszima4503]

Its animation you silly

[@PB1997.]

this is the kind of topic you always wanted to know but never put enough efforts to search on internet but one day it pops up in your recommendations and you click it.

[@ERIK-457]

Literally

[@diguifi0fficial]

its even hard to breathe watching this, everything hurts just by imagining an unprotected nerve channel getting a direct hit

[@kdpak]

Same. I was only listening to the video after a point. And the way I immediately straightened my arms after 3:19 😰

[@samueladitya1729]

I got dizzy watching this

[@swagatakar5784]

exactly

[@TamWam_]

tbh i stopped seeing it as a person and saw it as a drawing so i didn't feel the pain lol. tho the first elbow hit did hurt me

[@stenvention9595]

Same...but I had to watch till the end

[@enmingzhang9518]

Writers: How uncomfortable do you want your viewers to be? Ted Ed: *Yes.*

[@binaryvoid0101]

are you serious? this is offensive.

[@interceptor-k6x]

since when was a comment offensive

[@awesomehpt8938]

It is defintely not humerus to hit your funny bone

[@Readund]

Up

[@gregraj]

Very punny! 😂

[@rahul.sriwas]

Bro I am a fcking dru_g dealer and I have 3.5kg in stock and I am very serious. You can reply this comment if you want to make contact or meet me near the blue car

[@imthecoolestguyalive]

Armed with some puns, I see? Gotta hand it to you, this one was pretty funny.

[@elvirak8846]

Well at least it has a name relation! But the only one laughing to that joke are the scientists who named the nerve (and bone).

[@ceciliareid477]

Fainting after bashing my funny bone on a door handle is one of the weirdest experiences I've had. I woke up on the floor with a bump on my head and completely forgot what had happened for a while. It was such a shock!

[@MeryChess]

😮😮😮

[@jonascarlsson3]

The exact same thing happened to me but from hitting my knee instead

[@darkshiftyzero]

2 minutes in this video, and everything in my arms is aching 😢.

[@SuperSonic3557]

Same 😭😭

[@ItsMe-sx9ck]

Same😊

[@ashilsalim409]

Did u try to find it? 😹

[@Akemi.24-45]

I felt the pain every single time he hit something. But I thought it was just because I have cubital tunnel syndrome.

[@Echo81Rumple83]

I've had them even before watching this, but it's def not helping rn 😖

[@iSharShar]

This video explained the tingling sensation in my 4th and 5th fingers when I sleep with a bent arm better than my PCP and the neurologist I had to see.

[@honor9lite1337]

Wgat😮

[@Kimoto504]

Happens. Re-read your comment aloud. You're notice there's a rhyme but no need to feel proud.

[@baileyellison642]

Same, only it’s when I lean on my elbow for a min or two and I am just starting to get concerned enough to bring it up to my pcp

[@jazzingpanda3190]

Wait you take PCP when seeing your neurologist? Damn

[@baileyellison642]

@@jazzingpanda3190 not sure if u r being sarcastic or not so I wanted to let u know that pcp means personal care physician

[@JayVariety]

I love how the visuals illustrate how it feels

[@Sunflowersarepretty]

I felt the pain in my elbow after this video 😭

[@victor9]

Lol me too!

[@aarone9000]

Post traumatic funny- bone syndrome?! 😊

[@prfm_setya95]

HAHAHA 😂😭

[@IScottTheScotch]

I love this animation, and I‘m glad TedEd often uses them.

[@ericstelzman5190]

Have you seen the Polkamania! music video? The same animation was used for the "Hello" segment.

[@Echo81Rumple83]

Whoever this animator is, they've been with TedED for as long as I can remember. It's like seeing an old friend whenever I see this familiar style. Still wish TedED would make more Demon of Reason series. We need a lot of them and force the grifting politicians to watch them.

[@michaeligwe6406]

Not me straightening my elbows as I watch this video😂

[@krish7199]

Haha, I'm typing this with straight elbows lol 😂😂

[@255ad]

did any one else cringe every time they show the elbow bang even though its just animation?

[@honor9lite1337]

Feel satisfying..

[@melodyofmusic9575]

Idk about cringe but I definitely felt the pain

[@ylihao]

Same

[@dannimedtandi]

Same !😂

[@Miss_KittyFantastico]

Same

[@MightyCaullie]

3:55 he was so sick of hitting his funny bone he just stopped feeling the pain out of annoyance

[@chrisnorman1902]

It's a popular myth that ulnar nerve entrapment can be prevented by asking the ulnar nerve whether it is an ulnar nerve

[@slaterstimson]

“You have to tell me if you’re an ulnar nerve, right?”

[@blackpurple9163]

What??

[@V_4_Versace]

@@blackpurple9163it’s a police entrapment joke lol

[@gameeverything816]

Ha! That's actually pretty funny 😂 Very clever 👏

[@livemajlisbyagha3555]

1:36 cat be like : WTH is this man doing 😂😂..

[@livemajlisbyagha3555]

Btw thanks for the heart ❤️

[@Echo81Rumple83]

And "why did you drag me to this torture place?"

[@livemajlisbyagha3555]

@@Echo81Rumple83 😂👍

[@SkSafowan]

Why this video was so hard to watch ? Every time I was feeling that it was me getting that hit

[@ShahabazBagwan]

glad to see that I was not the only one.

[@thatomogale9803]

When this happens to me, it tends to be the most exciting thing in an otherwise uneventful day 😅.

[@DJCompl3x1]

Same 😂

[@justalonesoul5825]

This was exactly what I needed to hear as it perfectly explains why I'm getting more and more tingling sensations in the forearms... Too much time on computer with elbows constanly bent for mouse and keyboard. On top of sitting a lot which is not healthy at all in itself. Glad this video popped in my feed. Time to get more conscious 👏

[@prfm_setya95]

Bro, this is should be rated 15+

[@yuldouz]

Loved this format, and it's packed with information, not too long but still quite technical. Also loved the cat ❤

[@ruvintheekshana7121]

FINALLLYYYYYY, THE ANSWER WE NEEDED

[@MSKim6563]

There is another point in our knees, which gives a similar excruciating feeling 🥴 hope you can have an episode on that in near future 😖 thanks a lot

[@zakyzigzag]

I just hit mine so hard a few weeks ago and my forearms felt numb for some solid minutes, and it even still feels weird today😂

[@Echo81Rumple83]

You should prolly have that checked.

[@honor9lite1337]

Agreed, probably ebola ​@@Echo81Rumple83

[@melissal.5199]

Yeah indeed, just to be sure!

[@tommyigoe3952]

Thank you @Ted-Ed

[@PokizaNuritdinova]

Thank you for the insightful content. I’ve gained a lot of valuable information, and I’m truly satisfied with the depth and clarity of the material. It’s been extremely helpful and informative 👍🏻☺

[@CoolJosh3k]

A spider bite combined with an accidental bump later led to a real issue for me a while back. No “pins and needles”, but complete numbness in my pinky and ring fingers. Thankfully with treatment I was cured, but it did take a while to fix.

[@MrsJudithWright]

Great topic, great animation, great script. Never thought I would find nerve signals so interesting.

[@DanielJoseMP]

I hit this very hard a few days ago, felt like an electric shock then I lost sensation of my hand for a moment. It was pretty scary when it happened. Incredible that I got this video recommended, guess they do listen to us.

[@AdvaithPalakeezhil]

The sound effects are just perfect 😆

[@thezood]

If we were video game bosses, the elbow would have a big blinking surface on it

[@blackie12333]

It happened to me several times that I hit my elbow and lost consciousness in the next seconds... I'm relieved to know it can happen and it wasn't only me 😂😅

[@0ZeldaFreak]

In German we say Musikknochen (music bone) or Musikantenknochen (musician bone) and I think it suits it better than funny bone, because it fits in 2 ways. It may make you sing (in pain) or it's like (bad) music in your arm/bone.

[@twistedrealitys742]

When I was 11, I broke my arm right at the elbow. I lost the feeling and movement in two fingers for years.

[@misskingii]

I need more educational animations like this!

[@Bensen555]

new fear unlocked. permanent ulnar nerve entrapment

[@ythe8344]

2:13 he sacrificed THE ROOOOOK

[@ScurvyBoi]

I understood that reference

[@mymomsayshi]

Please explain!

[@ScurvyBoi]

@@mymomsayshi It's a chess reference, there's a youtuber named GothamChess who has a recurring joke of saying that line when someone... well, sacrifices a rook.

[@mymomsayshi]

@@ScurvyBoi You know I actually thought it was but I didnt get the reference to the video here :D thanks for following up!

[@ScurvyBoi]

@@mymomsayshi No probs!

[@athargilani]

damn thats a good video!! Exquisitely detailed, well explained and just dont get me started on the sound and animation work... bravo TED-ED... who animates your videos?

[@marianikolopoulou5017]

I kept feeling the pain during the whole video 😂

[@TrystwithTableTennis]

I dont know if you have a video on this but whats the reason some body parts just go to "sleep" temporarily? Like they become like steel, you cant control them for some time... this happens especially when you hold one position for a long time

[@jeannietimberger2556]

I hit my right elbow really hard a few years back and it still hurts. As we speak my right rotator cuff has been screwed back together and I'm in a sling. Both of my elbows ache constantly. Thank you for this info it gives me way better insight of what's going on!! Ooof

[@GhettoHuerta]

Please do a video about carpal tunnel if possible!

[@judethemave]

“Ulnar nerve entrapment...” Me: *straightens my arm 😂

[@bradens.3125]

my first ever fracture happened to my elbow, right next to my funny bone. it was such a shock to my nervous system that the left side of my face went numb for a minute

[@ERIK-457]

It's so much more common on the left elbow than the right elbow for some reason, like it's more exposed on the left arm or it's differently allocated on the right arm making it much more protected on the right arm than the left arm, i've hit that nerve on my left arm a couple very counted times in my life, though i don't remember having hit it once in my entire life in my right arm

[@Sinner487]

Guys if you do this stretching your arm straight and bending your wrist backwards helps a lot. It feels quite good almost as if you are slowly snapping it back into place. Just be careful not to pull anything and start slow.

[@turkeyleg72]

Alright mate, i'm siting on the toilet right mate and i see the title of the video and i decide hit the wall with my funny bones and now it hurts really bad, i'm in the hospital

[@ArrielsWeatherWatch]

I don’t know why, but this video kept cracking me up😂

[@ViraL_FootprinT.ex.e]

I hit my funny bone two weeks ago, and my pinky and ring finger has been slightly numb ever since.

[@mirum8726]

Thank you. It's time for some practice and test

[@Mswordx23]

Thanks, God, great design

[@AlmaChalabi]

Love this channel 🤍

[@GayathriMeda-t1u]

Not knowing this yet being subscribed for4 years is wild for me.

[@Billboy_]

About to do now. Thank for the tutorial

[@deepg0830]

Now I know why I've had excruciating pain every time I hit that spot from my childhood!! I think mine is too close to the skin than usual

[@QuiranPup]

The animation of the feeling is exactly how this feels. It couldn't have been drawn in a more clear way

[@peaceabner7285]

Good thing they kept this video short😂

[@Excelsior96]

0:13, 1:07, 1:31, 2:26, 3:55 This poor man

[@zai.kitsune]

I smacked my funny bone against some wood at work so hard my ring and pinky fingers went numb immediately... It was a terrible few minutes but I'm glad I'm educated on it now!

[@jasonjacob402]

A video on recovery of shoulder dislocation, causes & precautions

[@starf6469]

OMG that was a brutal and painful watch😭

[@MyysticYT]

Never experienced that

[@daringbeast]

Thanks ted edian i was wondering why 😂

[@lucianoosorio5942]

“Now I just realized my life is a tragedy, now it’s a flipping comedy.” Joker

[@j.b.8852]

It felt seriously unpleasant just to watch this. One could say it hit the spot ..

[@kurtmatteson4914]

That's usually a good thing, though...

[@A2Moonclaw]

I realized that it's not just your funny bone that can get that feeling. Ive hit a spot on the top of my fingers and a spot on the back of my leg that made a similar feeling, although more localized and way less sever than the spot on your elbow.

[@HarryDuBois616]

Happened to me once and it felt like my entire arm was suddenly on fire

[@Minoo-lw2pe]

Perfect❤ Is it right for the knee?

[@Echo81Rumple83]

Can confirm: constant bent elbows can make the fourth and fifth finger feel a bit numb. Got that from using my laptop keyboard incorrectly when learning how to play Terraria with mouse and keyboard when it first came out. THAT WAS ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO 😣

[@toriistorii6939]

I think I got my ulnar nerve entrapped for a bit. It felt similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, and my ring finger and pinky were numb for 2-3 weeks until the inflammation went down. Don't lean on your elbows too much lol

[@markscott554]

Seeing the cat made me wonder, nae, presume, that other mammals in general can feel the same discomfort. Imagine an elephant hitting its funny bone.

[@thymetalist]

I hit my elbow exactly in that position so hard my bones cracked. I was completely paralyzed for a few minutes while I was literally screaming with pain in my brain....Also my elbow region became extremely swollen (my skin cracked from how bad it was)... I needed a cast for my elbow but it was too puffy so they made me a semi-open cast so it doesn't grip my elbow tight. This happened over 20 years ago.. and it still sends shivers down my spine when I think of it... Also I have slight hand shaking tremor since then and elbow pain when I contract my hand muscles...

[@hugoCastellnaos]

The best way i found to make the feeling go away after hitting a "Funny Bone" is to move my fingers. So you can wiggle them or open and close your fist or act like you are picking up a cup. I don't know why but it makes the feeling go a way.

[@zenefu-waitt8228]

It was painful to watch him get hit on his funny bone countless times😭

[@gailaltschwager7377]

Thank you.

[@THEEXCEPTIONofficial01]

Funny bone:❌ Traumatizing bone:✔

[@dee-here-now]

Such good animation!

[@KaleidoSTAR_PH]

ngl, I felt that discomfort on spiritual level 💀

[@swedichboy1000]

I´ve experienced that while being hit just above the knee, it just overwhelms you, at first you grunt in pain, then you start laughing because it hurts so bad.

[@J1P2K]

It hurts just to watch.

[@As1fAhmad]

they torture the bro in front of our eyes and we all did nothing to save him 😭😭😞

[@klooks1013]

For some reason, you describing the movement of nerves in the body when i move my arm made me very worried I’d suddenly snap one

[@CamerHD]

Fun fact: The funny bone is called musician's bone in German ("Musikantenknochen"). Maybe because you often hit it while playing an instrument?

[@AnonymousCaveman]

God I felt pain just watching this

[@nunyadamnbizz]

I giggled every time he hit his elbow LMFAOOO

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

I damaged my left radial nerve in a car accident over ten years ago and I still feel tingling in my thumb. I thankfully regained total thumb control/strength though.

[@ahsanrafique4369]

One of the most hilarious things that happen with me everyday 😂

[@LiberTeaBag]

Hate it when that happen

[@Ronya.Sami.55Cancri.E]

Ow.. my elbow...

[@deleted-something]

I always felt like I got electric powers from it lmao

[@benjaminlim3936]

I really felt that. 😀

[@joyl7842]

I once lost consciousness when my friend jokingly kneed my outer thigh. I suspect something similar to this happened. He was very worried when I passed out and fell to the floor.

[@CrocodileWhispers]

my funny bone tingles when u talk about my ulnar nerve. staaaahhhppp ittttt

[@shawtmanXR]

This has happen to me so often, that I now know exactly where to hit to set it off. These days I just wriggle my finger in the spot if I miss the feeling. No need to hit the elbow any more. 😅

[@esat-krky]

even watching the elbow hitting a surface was discomforting

[@saloni357]

There isn't a single funny bone in the human body but a couple are humerus.

[@PartyofZero]

Okay, but the quote...👏

[@_am.ber_]

Not the ulnar nerve, but one time I fell asleep in my computer chair and I woke up to my left hand being PARALYZED from the wrist down!!!!!!!! I couldn't move it no matter how much I wanted to. I went to the doctor and I had caused radial neuropathy. It took about 6 weeks to go back to normal

[@sciburger8000]

I once hit my elbow so hard, that I no longer feel any funny pain there

[@sciburger8000]

I think my ulnar nerve got displaced

[@raejohnson8433]

Just watching makes my insides hurt 😂