Physical Limitations

I'm going on day 3 of wearing this stupid brace on my hand....besides making typing difficult, it's hindering everything. My job is taking me 3 times longer to do, I'm constantly bumping my elbow on stuff, when I try to do laundry the clothes stick to the velcro...and I can't put on a bra without my husband's help. I don't mind the last part too much, LOL.

As a writer, these things automatically make me think of characters and plot points. I remember one of my characters who had both hands bandaged and splinted. My sympathy goes out to her more even as I remember readers laughing at her failed attempts to open a beer with her teeth. I remember another who temporarily lost her mind and damaged her feet by walking across 3 states. I'm already thinking I should put more emphasis on these details.

Physical limitations can heighten the suspense in a story. In Stephen King's THE LONG WALK, a mere charley horse or a cold can kill you. Think of all the scenes in which a character is hiding from a bad guy and has to sneeze or they are being chased and trip. What if they sprained their ankle? Mere exhaustion can be add tension as well. I read a series where the character has non-stop action but it was expressed how tired she was. I was on the edge of my seat just hoping she'd be able to get some rest.

What limitations have you put on your characters? Where can you add more?