DEAR DR. GOTT: I was wondering if you could help answer a problem I have been having. For about the past year, at least four times a week I will wake during the middle of the night with my fingers feeling very swollen and stiff. I don’t believe they are actually swollen but they are so stiff I can hardly close a fist.
When I get up in the morning they are not abnormally stiff any more. I do have a slight case of psoriatic arthritis but I always believed that when we slept our bodies healed themselves. Is there anything I can do to prevent this and is it something I should see my doctor about?
DEAR READER: As a general rule, I feel strongly that each person knows his or her body, its limitations and its strong points. [Read more...]