Broken bones hurt. Obviously. But did you ever wonder why?

After all, nerves are the pathways that allow us to feel pain, and bones don't have nerves.

As it turns out, the thin covering of a bone contains nerves, according to the University of Iowa College of Nursing. In addition, the tissue surrounding the bone has lots of nerve fibers.

All that pain has a point. When the nerves send their message to the brain, the body responds by sending fluid to promote healing. Those surrounding tissues soak up extra fluid, and that's what we see as swelling.

Elevating the broken bone relieves the swelling, because gravity keeps some fluid from reaching its destination.

So, if you break a bone, relax and raise the fracture.