New take on RLS from a physical thea... - Restless Legs Syn...

Restless Legs Syndrome

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New take on RLS from a physical theapist point of view..

42 Replies

I found a brand new take on rls according to the medical library"- Leg Pain

The link will not open properly so here it is for your pleasure of reading...

Actions for the Unease of Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless leg syndrome sounds like an odd name for a medical condition, but according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, at least an estimated 12 million Americans live with this problem.

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is described by sufferers as a constant need to move the legs to lessen painful or uncomfortable sensations when the legs are at rest. These sensations include burning, tingling, or a feeling of insects crawling on the legs. Usually, the sensations aren't apparent during activity. But when sitting down to relax, or lying down to sleep, the feeling can become unbearable. This is why many people with RLS suffer from insomnia or experience fatigue during the day.

According to the National Institute for Neurological Conditions and Stroke, an international restless leg syndrome group identified these four basic criteria for diagnosing restless leg syndrome:

A desire to move the limbs often associated with unpleasant sensations.

Symptoms that are worse or present only during rest and are temporarily or partially relieved by activity.

Movement restlessness.

Nighttime worsening of symptoms.

RLS can happen at any age and isn’t gender specific, although it is thought that the incidence in women may be slightly higher than in men. The average affected age group seems to be middle age to older and symptoms seem to increase with age.

As with many conditions, the cause of restless leg syndrome is unknown. Medical literature indicates that a family history of RLS is present in about 50 percent of the cases. In other cases, RLS appears related to conditions such as low iron levels (anemia), kidney failure, diabetes, hypothyroidism, heavy metal toxicity, pregnancy, obesity, excessive alcohol intake, smoking, and the use of certain medications such as certain histamine blockers and certain antidepressants.

If you have restless leg syndrome symptoms, it is important to have your physician rule out these related conditions. Treatment of an underlying cause of RLS may decrease the symptoms, but often most of the conditions aren't present.

Clinically, many patients with symptoms of RLS also have considerable muscle tightness around the upper legs, buttock, and low back. In many cases, there are postural imbalances, which can put increased strain and pressure on these areas. Compression of the area where the leg meets the torso may add to the symptoms of restless leg syndrome.

A significant number of patients who were treated for back pain, fibromyalgia or other orthopedic problems and also had RLS reported a substantial decrease in their RLS symptoms after postural and pelvic imbalances were resolved. Further study needs to be done on this area.

If you or someone you know has restless leg syndrome, first see your doctor. Then, if associated medical conditions have been ruled out, see a manual physical therapist to evaluate possible musculoskeletal contributing factors for restless leg syndrome.

(this article is by Quality Physical TherapySM, Inc./BioSynchronistics®,)

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42 Replies

Informative article Thanks

stillwater profile image
stillwater

Yeah thanks, I've been seeing a physio for back and knee problems recently and he very matter of factly announced '...of course you realise RLS is an early marker for Parkinsons'....anyone else been told that?

in reply to stillwater

thats incorrect, some PD patients do get RLS, but just because you have RLS, it does not mean you will get PD

Pete-1 profile image
Pete-1 in reply to

sister3, yes I endorse that. I was diagnosed with PD in January 2007 and discovered that I had RLSI presumably as a PD symptom, only when gradually coming off Pramiopexole. This was about a couple of years ago.

in reply to stillwater

I have never been told that. How is the knee and back therapy

been doing for you? Was it for an injury ?

sparkle2 profile image
sparkle2

Whilst I do think that RLS seems to have some symptoms to Parkinsons', I can't see that it is an 'early marker', as I have had RLS from the age of 16, and I'm now 63yrs !!

in reply to sparkle2

Thank you. That's a long time to have RLS...has it gotten worse over

the years? What are you doing to treat RLS?

cumoneileen profile image
cumoneileen in reply to sparkle2

I have had RLS since I was 20 and having my first baby I am now 69 and the RLS got worse as I got older. I take Ropinorole its a life saver for me . I was not happy when I learnt it is given FOR parkinsons but never heard it would GIVE you parkinsons!!! my doctor is quite up on this and I am sure he would have told me if this was so.

in reply to cumoneileen

I did not ever see that taking Ropinorole would give you Parkinsons.. no doctor in their right mind would prescribe it if it did.. However,

there are some very serious side effects and that's what concerns most everyone more than anything.. the chance that you might have urges to gamble, become overly sexually promiscuous..shop-a-holic..so take those things really seriously. Before warnings were out, people had these things happen to them.

Is your usual dosage doing the job for you? I mean are your legs

allowing you to get some good sleep?

cicek profile image
cicek

Very informative thank you for sharing. I do have quite a sever lower back problem and had lots of osteopathy. Never mention RLS to my osteopath so perhaps its worth asking. Did anyone see my question about reflexology?

in reply to cicek

I didn't see your question..sorry ...I will go back and look for it.

I believe in reflexology and have used it for other conditions..

My RLS causes me to abandon it. I felt the urge to move too

much.

funnyfennel profile image
funnyfennel in reply to

Absolutely. Reflexology for me makes me want to kick out! massage is also impossible for too long, or at the end of the day..cannot bear my legs to be rubbed for toolong.....Also went to an excercise class, but could not remain still for the meditation. I do think my back tightens and stretching is necessary .

in reply to funnyfennel

I was embarrassed when I had to ask the girl to stop with the massage on my back.. it was my legs..she was working on one and the other went crazy..it was as if everything was going on because she messed with oil on my back.. She

thought that she did something that offended me or that

she hurt me. You are not alone Funnyfennel.. I can remain

still after the meditation..sometimes but it's not something

that I practice everyday. I think that our backs have a lot to do

with rls.. and sometimes I wonder if we are deficient is some weird vitamin or mineral..

I would do reflexology in a heartbeat and hope to sit still...

I know that it works for quite a few conditions placebo effect or not. I witnessed it with my own eyes when my dad was alive.

Acupressure works as well if you can be right on spot.

It stops working for me when I stop using it though.. I am

going to look for the hand acupressure areas to post..I

know that I have them in a folder somewhere on my laptop.

funnyfennel profile image
funnyfennel in reply to

good to talk. It is hard to understand the mirapex doseage, but I think each tab is .125 of the actual drug. Just wondering because the 2 I take make me so sleepy the next day and seems to add up to .25mg...therefore how are you not asleep with 1 mg...?? I do sometimes take x3...but was awake half the night ...ho hum....

in reply to

im completly the same, cant bear anything on or touching my legs, they go crazy

Your physio is completely wrong. PD suffers can also develope RLS, but never the other way round.

in reply to

yep, i have to say i agree with sister3 and Ellise here, they are both correct

stillwater profile image
stillwater

That's good news then, thanks!

The Physio treatment was for long-standing sporadic acute back pain and more recent and worsening stiffness in upper thigh and hip areas....have to say got the impression the Physio just wanted an excuse to refer me back to the GP so that I was off his list.

in reply to stillwater

How long have you had RLS? I'm interested as others probably want

to hear more about it.. I really want to know if you started RLS

before the back pain or did that come after?

I know what you mean about the run around feeling that you get

when the doctor passes you over to physical therapy..for me

that's a clear signal that the doctor quits unless I do a heap of

work (usually painful) with the physical therapist. I had 5 same knee

replacements 2 yrs ago.. Infection set in every time. My RLS was

100% gone with the great pain medicines I was given.

I am thinking in this way: if I have had those terrible muscle pains and cramps for 33 years it will not be very strange if the lower back and/or knees will be affected as they are connected to the legs. Do you undrstand what I mean in my poor English?

kirkdale profile image
kirkdale in reply to

Apart from my RLS I suffered from cramps which seem to have gone since I now take magnesium on a regular basis. However I also have thigh muscle cramps which are a whole different ballgame. When these come on I can't move until I take a baclofen tablet which the doc gives me and I also take a a kapake tablet . It usually settles down within 5 to 10 minutes but until then I am almost at screaming point. Although even these have seemed to get less since taking the magnesium but when they come they are still as severe. Wonderful baclofen . I never go anywhere without them. I take one every morning as I wake up and then just as I need them. Always carry some with me in my handbag. These cramps are very very painful and if you are out when they come on extremely embarrassing. Hope you can get rid of them.

That was a good report very interesting you must have a lot of time on your hands, You see all kinds of wired and wonderfully ideas and bodgup cures There is no cure for. RLS . You want to feel a little bit better This is what I do get of caffein, eat heathy, don't eat red meat, drink plenty of water eat plenty of fish, veg. Almonds, pumpkin seeds , pomegranate advcardo , salads and drink soya milk , Get a good night cream.keep your room cold ,put your head phones on and lister to Luther Vandross

in reply to

You manage it very well Leonard. The time on my hands is

well deserved. Working from home has giant perks..I've had

enough of rls. . I am out checking other websites, journals,

and I'm looking more deeply into the diet factor to help myself

out a little more. =) I want to have good tasting foods and more

complicated dishes... haha.. I am a hermit under a rock these

days looking out for a couple of things that I have going on.

One thing that is showing up is fish, fish, fish and more fish..

it seems to be a key in fighting auto immune diseases and

inflammation. It gets me thinking a lot about the mercury in

the fresh lake waters over here... there are some pretty high levels

so I am now thinking of ocean fish..which taste terrible to me..

I would have to master a recipe that would cover up that salty

taste of the ocean.. so help me with that...You are a fisherman! =D

in reply to

Take a good quality fish oil pill, that will save eating that nasty tasting of the ocean fish...lol.

in reply to

Supplements are okay for some.. for me, I choose to

eat healthy to obtain the food vitamins and minerals..

Salmon, Tuna, Swordfish is good as well to eat. I

just don't care for the very strong flavored fish..so

I am looking for healthy recipes to use fish from the

ocean. It needs to fill me up as well... Eggs help me

too...but not as well as the mighty Sirloin Steak..

I will not touch lamb.. I dislike the taste of that and

venison. I can't even stand the smell of those two

cooking.

I hope that we start talking about getting those vitamins

and minerals in by foods. I like to cater to the people

that dislike taking pills.. diet has everything to do with

getting rls under conrol. No sense in baking the fish

and then dunking it in loads of butter or heaps of tarter

sauce..which is so yummy but defeats the purpose

of eating to help us cope with this rls.

in reply to

I dont like or eat much in the fish range.:( Maybe google healthy fish recipes and you will probably get loads of hits. I have never found any foods that have helped me, but that doesnt mean no one will.

in reply to

Eric Clapton is much better on the ears. =)

in reply to

Al Green, much better

in reply to

Ain't no mountain high enough.. oh boy..that's going to stay

on my mind all day..my head will be swarmed with songs

from Al Green.. thanks sweetie. =DD

in reply to

?? thats not Al Greens song

in reply to

Pft..haha must be the weekend. I have no

idea then who Al Green is?? Will look on

u-tube. =DD (me laughing)

Tiredparent profile image
TiredparentRestless Leg Syndrome

Leonard20 - Eating red meat can help our iron levels (ferritin levels) so my doctor said that as long as it is lean red meat, then it is good for RLS sufferers as low ferritin levels can make RLS worse! In fact, he said that having vitamin C (either in vegetables or in juice) at the same makes it easier for the body to absorb the iron.

in reply to Tiredparent

Yeah... I gave up red meats (for the most part) and now I have a

great big vitamin B12 deficiency.. I have to get shots for it.. bummer

since I eat chickpeas and beans known to be rich in iron... If I

could turn back the hands of time, I wouldn't have given up

lean cuts of red meat. I wouldn't probably have this problem. =D

I dont think eating all iron rich food is enough to up anyone's ferritin level, I think you would have to eat a mountain of iron foods to help in that. But eating them is a healthy diet... :)

in reply to

Just had a vision of a mountain of spinach urghhhh

in reply to

=D sometimes I have to laugh out loud while reading..

spinach lasagna.. it's so good. haha.

in reply to

not even with the lasagne !!!

Yuk yuk, to the spinach lasagna. :P

in reply to

double yuk yuk

in reply to

I am making spinach artichoke dip.. I am going to dunk

celery in it.. crackers are better, I know but I am going

to enjoy every single bite and think of you Tallula and

Elisse.. haha. =) Luv you two non lovers of spinach..

yum..

in reply to

oh thank you for that, just put me right of my lunch blaurghhhh

I have not had any kind of rls for the past 24 hours. (tapping wood) My

RA is in check today..meaning not hurting at all.. I am on a roll.. yippe! =)

You can't knock spinach - Popeye the Sailor Man would be offended.. haha.

Remember that cartoon..Olive with the skinny body and giant feet.. Popeye

promoting spinach.. haha. You should add spinach sparingly until you squire

a taste for it. =))

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