The Palmaris Longus is a notorious muscle of the hand since some people don't have it at all. Wait, what!? [more inside]
posted by jgwong on Oct 24, 2009 - 28 answers

What is being solicited by this hand gesture in the streets of Baltimore? [more inside]
posted by That takes balls. on Sep 28, 2009 - 20 answers

Why aren't tiny insects killed by the impact of a swatting hand? [more inside]
posted by thankyoumuchly on Sep 3, 2009 - 11 answers

YANAD, but I'm having some noticeable pain in my right (dominant) hand in the muscle in between my index & middle finger knuckles on the back of my hand. I'm also writing my dissertation. [more inside]
posted by sararah on Jun 25, 2009 - 10 answers

Should a left-handed person forced, as a child, to be a right-handed person teach himself to be left-handed as an adult? [more inside]
posted by gwpcasey on Jun 17, 2009 - 16 answers

My hand hurts, and I don't know why? You are not my doctor, but maybe this sounds familiar to someone and I can avoid sounding like a complete moron to the doctor... [more inside]
posted by chrisinseoul on Apr 5, 2009 - 8 answers

How do I build a hand cranked projector? [more inside]
posted by tealeaf522 on Mar 27, 2009 - 6 answers

My dominant hand has a painful, bony bump at the joint where my index finger and palm meet (the MCPJ) and I AM going to see a Dr this week about it. Can anyone recommend things I can do to help it not get worse? I cannot not type at my job. [more inside]
posted by wowbobwow on Mar 4, 2009 - 6 answers

Does anyone know the game "kawanoo" or "Quano" (sp)? It is a complicated rock paper scissor type game that uses hand gestures along with words (african)? [more inside]
posted by Black_Umbrella on Feb 27, 2009 - 1 answer

I'm having periodic numbness in my hands, very minor. I'm a musician (violinist). I might have messed something up exercising. I recently started practicing a lot more. I'm trying to be very careful. Also I type a lot. And it's cold. I'm freaking out a little bit. [more inside]
posted by sully75 on Jan 30, 2009 - 17 answers

Does brand name truly matter when shopping for hand sanitizers? [more inside]
posted by saturn25 on Jan 14, 2009 - 17 answers

I'm losing the use of one of my fingers. But what I'll miss most is the touch typing. How to relearn it? [more inside]
posted by Jeanne on Dec 10, 2008 - 20 answers

How to treat split fingertips? [more inside]
posted by skechada on Dec 8, 2008 - 26 answers

During sleep, I experience hand or finger numbness. It involves the first three digits mostly (thumb, pointer and middle). [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 29, 2008 - 19 answers

I'm working on a historical postcard exhibition and one of our postcards has some type of shorthand as the message. I was wondering if anyone could translate it? I don't know what type of shorthand it might be written in. [more inside]
posted by sweetmarie on Nov 20, 2008 - 13 answers

Talented people making high quality goods (belts, wooden objects, pens, misc leather items , clothes, manuscript books, etc) at reasonable prices. [more inside]
posted by dance on Oct 20, 2008 - 11 answers

What is wrong with the skin on my hand? [more inside]
posted by buriednexttoyou on Sep 25, 2008 - 16 answers

My fiancée has been experiencing pretty severe pain in her left shoulder, arm and hand for about the last two weeks. She saw our family doctor last week and has another appointment tomorrow. We're looking for some more pointed questions to ask. Details inside. [more inside]
posted by Nelsormensch on Sep 10, 2008 - 17 answers

HygieneFilter: must I always use soap when washing my hands? [more inside]
posted by XiBe on Sep 3, 2008 - 18 answers

I recently got a stripe of mild discoloration on my hand about a half-inch long. I am almost certain that it isn't a bruise, as it has been on my hand for about a month now. It has faded, but doesn't look like it's going to go away on its own. What caused it? [more inside]
posted by Damn That Television on Aug 25, 2008 - 11 answers

Where can I get hand lettered signs in NYC? [more inside]
posted by abirae on Aug 24, 2008 - 4 answers

My turn: what movie have I been thinking about for the past 15 years or so? The only scene I can remember is some guy getting his hand chopped off in a cave or dungeon. [more inside]
posted by Venadium on Jul 28, 2008 - 17 answers

Does anyone else ever feel the presence of a phantom thumb jutting out of the side of their foot? [more inside]
posted by Lownotes on Jun 28, 2008 - 21 answers

i was in a very bad car accident this weekend and smashed my dominant hand and my non dominant shoulder. i've been told my dominant hand may not regain full functionality. any tips on getting through the next few weeks/months? any good car accident recovery stories? [more inside]
posted by melodykramer on May 27, 2008 - 17 answers

I managed to break my right ring finger in a cycling accident (completely clean break between knuckles) and now have pins in for ~3wks. I'm interested in finding out what foods, supplements, etc I should be looking at to help speed up the healing/mending process – *or* – even ones I should be avoiding.
posted by hrbrmstr on May 1, 2008 - 14 answers

Can I get codeine without a prescription in the northern Chicago suburbs? [more inside]
posted by Reverend John on Apr 21, 2008 - 10 answers

Two-year old caught his thumb in a door. After two hours, the child no longer complained of pain, was using thumb fine. No swelling, cuts, or outward signs of trauma. However, the thumb "clicks" and locks in a straight position if the child extends his thumb. Is this a permanent injury? What damage was sustained? What should we ask the doctor when we visit? [more inside]
posted by Pastabagel on Apr 9, 2008 - 10 answers

Pregnancy. Hand-held massager. Problems? My wife is 23 weeks in and having some back pain. I thought maybe one of these might be good... (I know it's not a "real massage" replacement). What I'm particularly interested in hearing is if anyone has "Don't Do It" experience... [more inside]
posted by paterg on Dec 19, 2007 - 7 answers

If toes and fingers are digits, and arms and legs are appendages (limbs, extremities), what's the general anatomical term for hands and feet?
posted by gottabefunky on Dec 17, 2007 - 14 answers

I am unable to find a picture of someone with their hand spread out down an ostrich's throat. [more inside]
posted by 31d1 on Dec 4, 2007 - 12 answers

My arm fell asleep after I slept on it wrong, and a day later, my hand still feels funny. What do I do? [more inside]
posted by BuddhaInABucket on Nov 29, 2007 - 14 answers

Which Dustbuster should I buy? [more inside]
posted by Tnuocca on Sep 14, 2007 - 7 answers

When I was a kid, I used to have fairly significant weakness in both my hands when I woke up in the morning. Any ideas what that might have been? [more inside]
posted by peep on Aug 31, 2007 - 29 answers

Strange swelling on the back of a friend's hand after gardening, with no puncture marks - what could it be? [more inside]
posted by mitzyjalapeno on Aug 10, 2007 - 5 answers

YANADfilter: Why does my hand hurt and what can I do to make it hurt less until I can see a doctor? [more inside]
posted by bedhead on Jul 23, 2007 - 26 answers

How do I keep my hand from cramping up when writing? [more inside]
posted by sorindome on Jul 10, 2007 - 17 answers

During an audition or reading, are hand or body movements too distracting? [more inside]
posted by gttommy on Jul 6, 2007 - 10 answers

Carpal tunnel relief question and a request for an Atlanta-area specialist. [more inside]
posted by odi.et.amo on Jun 18, 2007 - 15 answers

Besides "see a doctor", what can my relatively mild, non-joint, pressure induced hand pain be? Too many details inside. [more inside]
posted by anaelith on May 17, 2007 - 7 answers

Is it RSI? I have weird pains in my wrist, like a straight line of ache that goes and goes away for a few seconds. It doesn't happen constantly but often enough for me to be a bit concerned. [more inside]
posted by tmcw on Apr 5, 2007 - 14 answers

How do I prepare animal hides for use as the skin of a hand drum such as a djembe? [more inside]
posted by davey_darling on Nov 30, 2006 - 6 answers

My left pinkie finger has been asleep for ~4 months. Should I be worried? [more inside]
posted by 5acres on Jun 1, 2006 - 24 answers

What's this bump in my girlfriend's hand (completely innocuous picture inside). [more inside]
posted by reformedjerk on May 25, 2006 - 18 answers

I noticed that as times goes by, computer mice (and other plastic items) get used by skin friction. I notice my mice have "smooth" areas on their buttons that obviously seem to be there because of use. Is there a way to prevent that? [more inside]
posted by a007r on Apr 30, 2006 - 6 answers

I'd like to strengthen my grip, but those spring handgrips are weak. Do stronger ones exist? [more inside]
posted by tomble on Apr 9, 2006 - 16 answers

Wondering what hand stiffness / tingling is [more inside]
posted by dvjtj on Feb 7, 2006 - 20 answers

What are some products that are made/comfortable for people with large hands? Computer specific, but anything else would be cool. [more inside]
posted by pantsrobot on Dec 23, 2005 - 3 answers

What are some songs that prominently feature hand claps? [more inside]
posted by billysumday on Dec 15, 2005 - 140 answers

RF.Filter: How come I can always increase the quality of a poor radio signal by grasping the antenna with my hand? [more inside]
posted by Popular Ethics on Nov 3, 2005 - 18 answers

I have two motorcycle questions. 1) My horn sounds like an immitation of the road runner "meep" sound. I feel like cars would pay attention to a louder, strong horn; can I purchase one that sounds better, or is my 12v (12Ah) battery the problem? 2) When I pass other motorcycles on the road, the riders always wave hello... is there a code here I should know about? Is there some signal for cop ahead or bad road conditions, etc?
posted by about_time on Jun 8, 2005 - 18 answers