DEAR DOCTORS: My arms and hands have begun to go numb when I’m in lying down in bed at night. It wakes me up, so I’m not sleeping well. What causes this? I’m healthy, eat a pescatarian diet and exercise regularly. I don’t have diabetes, but I may have high blood sugar. Should I see a doctor?
DEAR READER: When our ancient ancestors began to walk upright, they earned us some important evolutionary advantages. These include increased agility, improved endurance and freeing up our arms and hands to carry loads and manage tasks. The vertical stance led to increased flexibility of our spines and a remarkable range of motion in our joints. It increased our odds of survival, but it also came at a price.
Becoming bipeds left us more vulnerable to the effects of gravity and, thus, to a host of back and other skeletal problems. It’s a risk that persists even in sleep. When the…
