PInky Finger

[pacaveli]

I was just wondering if theres like a nerve in your elbow that leads directly to the pinky finger. The reason is because if i put some pressure on my Elbow for abuot 4-5 minutes my pinky finger and the pinky finger side of my hand gets tingely.


Can anyone explain this, or give me a solution?

[Baron Opal]

Yes, there is, but I don't remember the name of the nerve off the top of my head. If I remember correctly it is the ulnar nerve and it innervates the outside third of your forearm, your hand, and your ring and pinky fingers. If you hold your arm palm up, you should be able to find two knobs of bone to either side of the point of your elbow. There is a little gap between the point of your elbow and the outside point, that is where the nerve is exposed. Pressing on it or twacking something with your elbow lets you know exactly what parts of your forearm are innervated by it. It is also the "funny bone" nerve.

I think. I'm not too hot with that layer of anatomy.

Oh, and it hurts when you lean on your elbow...?

(Wait for it...)

(You know it's coming...)

DON'T LEAN ON YOUR ELBOW!

*rimshot*

Thank you, thank you. I'm here all week.

(Seriously. Leaning on your elbow compresses the gap that the nerve runs through. The tingle is the resulting sensation. Not much to be done.)

[dman2]

Yeah, when would you be leaning on your elbow for 5 minutes? Nerves are all over and you just happened to find one that runs to your pinky. Think of it this way. If you are ever get your pinky stuck in something and can't free it, you can just lean on your elbow until it goes numb and WHACK it off!!

[Cowman]

I pinch that nerve all the time.
Not pleasent at alll

[pacaveli]

it doesn't hurt it just tingles, i think it started one day in chemistry. I was doing some pretty tanka ass leaning on it, and proly a little napping, and it all of the sudden it fellt really weird and ever seince then eveyr 5 moinutes of leaning on it it goes tingely

[hokiesandwich]

That's probably the Ulnar nerve. It is part of the Brachial plexus (in the arm), which includes nerves from Cervical nerve #5 (C5) to Thoracic nerve #1(T1). Thoracic nerve #1 originates in the 1st Thoracic vertebrae ("T1"). There are more nerve plexi than there are vertebrae, mind you, so some vertebrae have multiple plexi.

If only I was this thorough in studying for my exams...

Sorry I can't offer any online resources for you

[hokiesandwich]

P.S.

I forgot to mention - yeah, don't lean on it!

This is similar to what is called "Saturday night palsy" - where you you rest your arm on the arm of a sofa and fall asleep on top of it, or someone else falls asleep on your arm (wink wink) and then your arm goes to sleep.

As an aside, did you know that obese people prefer chairs with more cushioning than those of "normal" proportions? Just think of the discomfort and numbness that must result when you weigh 400 lbs, and you sit on a hard bench for a long time. Now imagine that with a wallet in your back pocket, on your sciatic nerve.

[pacaveli]

it's weird though because it's not just my hand, it's just my pink finger, and the pinky finger extended downward part of my hand.

and I've actually been timing it, it can take anywhere from .5 to 4 minutes to occur, it's so weird, and random

[thingstodo]

That's because that specific nerve you are pinching only goes to your little finger. Each nerve has its own purpose. Otherwise, if you cut your pinky, your entire hand would hurt, and what would be the point when the area of concern in your finger?

[pacaveli]

no it's weird that it just recently started to act this way, it never did this before

[roderickpsu]

I hope that you've discovered this by leaning on your elbow...not simply pressing on random spots on your body for long periods of time to see if there is a reaction IF that were the case, I'd say dude...get a life!