Ankle is best place to scratch By contrast, the forearm was the least itchy spot, and scratching there produced pleasure that was briefer and lower in intensity. Professor Francis McGlone, a member of the International Forum for the Study of Itch and one of the researchers, said: "It was interesting that the ankle was the itchiest site and that the most pleasure came from scratching it, because the back has been well-known as a preferred site for scratching." There is no clear explanation for the finding, but one theory is that ankles have evolved as particularly itch-prone because they are likely to come into contact with insects and germs, which could be removed through scratching. Prof McGlone, who is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Liverpool John Moores University, added: "Generally, if something is nice to do, like scratching an itch, there is a reason for it other than pleasure. It may, for example, that we evolved to feel itch on the ankle and get the most pleasure from scratching it, because our feet were exposed to microbes, fleas and so on. Itch is a very powerful sensation. I had a patient who had lost a foot and was getting phantom limb pain - but what troubled him most was a phantom itch between his toes. Prof McGlone believes ankles may have evolved to be more sensitive because they come into contact with insects and germs which could be removed through scratching. He added: "If something is nice to do, like scratching an itch, there is generally a reason for it other than pleasure."