Science Questions

Why did my thumb throb when injured?

Today I cut myself with a pretty sharp knife. After I sat down for a minute I felt a pulsing pain in my thumb where I cut myself. I know I’ve felt that way before when it was hurt in waves so why is it not constant? Josephine

You’ll notice the waves are in time with the beating of your heart so there’s a pulse.

What happens when you cut yourself, inflammatory chemicals are sent to that part of your body where it’s part of your body’s defence to prevent infection to that wound.  Some of those chemicals stimulate nerve endings, nerve endings that are sensory receptors that are mechanically stimulated.  As your artery throbs with the beat of your heart that stimulates those sensitised nerve endings and you get this throbbing, beating pain.

February 2008