There’s nothing funny about funny bones.
Here’s an interesting fact: your “funny bone” isn’t actually a bone, but rather the long ulnar nerve. The ulnar nerve is what allows your brain to feel and control your ring and pinky fingers. It’s only called the “funny bone” because of the “funny” feeling you get in your arm after you bash it. That’s strange funny, not ha-ha funny. There’s nothing particularly ha-ha funny about it, unless it happens to someone else. That’s pretty funny.
Anyway, bashing your elbow can feel absolutely awful, not just in the brief moment afterward, but even for several days. A really bad elbow bash can radiate up your arm, causing temporary tendonitis in your wrist and fingers. It’s a very unpleasant feeling, especially if you have a job that necessitates working with your hands. There’s no magic cure for a bashed elbow, unfortunately, but there are a few tricks you can use to make the healing process a little less irritating.
To deal with a sore elbow and the wrist pain it causes, you’ll want to employ some classic hot-cold therapy. Apply either a cold pack or some ache cream like Icy Hot to the affected area. Cooling the spot will help reduce the pain, while heating it slightly will help promote blood flow and allow the injury to heal faster. You can also perform some simple hand and elbow stretches to keep things flowing properly.
If you’re not doing stretches, though, you should try to keep your arm as still as possible. Wiggling it around will make it harder for it to heal properly. Try your best to keep your arm still, and if you’re having trouble, consider employing a simple arm or wrist brace. You can buy one at your local pharmacy, and it’ll keep you nice and still while your body does its thing.
With any luck, you should be back to normal in a few days. If the pain lasts longer than that, you might want to talk to your doctor, just to make sure your injury wasn’t anything severe.
