Why don't I have two left feet? or two left hands for that matter? I can see why the basic body plan makes sense, having legs and arms distributed as we have, but why exactly are the limbs mirror images of each other, instead of being exactly the same limb just repeated? What is the evolutionary logic behind having right and left hands? [more inside]
posted by selenized on Nov 28, 2012 - 12 answers

Tingling fingers and toes in the morning, cold limbs, tiredness after a hot bath and shower. I have a bunch of symptoms that don't seem too unusual, but I still wonder if there is something wrong with me? [more inside]
posted by josefk on Aug 13, 2012 - 14 answers

Why are arthropods the only animals with more than four legs? [more inside]
posted by curious nu on Mar 1, 2011 - 41 answers

YANMD (and I am going to see one): Numbness in right arm and leg? No shooting pains, and I can use them both, but there's a general feeling of limbs falling asleep. [more inside]
posted by cadge on Jan 5, 2010 - 13 answers

How do I make a low-cost, yet somewhat realistic-looking severed hand/foot? [more inside]
posted by chara on Oct 21, 2007 - 7 answers

My friend has a strange condition where he feels a need to have weight placed on his body. Is there a definition and reason for this? [more inside]
posted by pinksoftsoap on Oct 4, 2006 - 26 answers

Does anybody know the name of the neurological disease which breaks the connections of your passive feeling nerves but still leaves you able to control your limbs? [more inside]
posted by unrequited on Sep 28, 2006 - 4 answers

My older brother was born with a medical condition that I would like more information about. Being from a third world country does not help finding a label or diagnosis for it, so I will try to explain it as best as I can and hopefully someone will pinpoint it. I have been a US resident for a while and I am unfortunately not with him to see a doctor and find the answers that I need. From what I know it is incurable but who knows, maybe there is something out there that can help him out. [more inside]
posted by convex on Jun 19, 2006 - 11 answers

Occasionally, when I sleep, I stick my arm under my pillow and rest my head on it (a leftover habit from having it in a cast years ago). I've gotten used to the confusion of having a numb, dead arm for a few minutes in the morning, but what's bothering me lately is something I remembered hearing a while back - which is that if you cut off circulation to a limb (put it to 'sleep') for long enough it can 'fall off' or suffer a similarly nasty fate.

So, can any sort of permanent, horrible damage result from what I'm doing, or is this just bunk?
posted by Monster_Zero on Mar 28, 2004 - 24 answers