I have the cure!

[trythis]

You do not need pills you need to move and stretch. The only thing that has ever stopped my legs from RLS is stretching. I will prop my foot up on something like a table and grab my foot and pull myself down towards my leg as far as I can go, while in this position I point and relax my foot quite a few times which stretches my calves. I do this on both sides, it stretches my lower back and legs and it stops my RLS almost immediately. I believe RLS has something to do with the muscles and nerves in the back and body that need to be stretched to release tension. If I get RLS all over my body which I sometimes do, then I will lye down on the floor and stretch my whole body using a series of different movements such as stretching my arms above my head and laying on my back and twisting my hips so that my knees touch the opposite side of the floor, stretching my neck etc. I will do this for about 15 minutes or so stretching all my body parts from finger tips to toes. I have also found that if I stretch, walk and exercise daily I do not have RLS at all. Trust me I have suffered with this for years and stretching will make it stop and you will be able to sleep. Don't poo poo this, try it and see.

[Madlegs1]

This comes up almost every week. It works for some people for some of the time. However it is not an all time cure - so far there isn't one to cover all RLS situations.

It's great that it works for you- and everyone should be doing those stretches anyway. But please don't hold it out for those of us unfortunate enough to suffer from serious RLS. Believe me - I've tried it.

If you've ever been on long haul flights you will appreciate the impracticality of what you are proposing as a fixall.

Theres always a club of us at the back station doing our various stretches and silly walks and exchanging the international knowing look of empathy!

By all means put forward ideas that have worked for you personally - others can then try them out. But please don't propose them as be all and end all cures- because they just ain't. ☺

Sorry for the blast - but it's been a long day and you are getting caught by the tailwind.

Delighted that you are cured. Long may it work for you.

Cheers.

[Goingthruhell in reply to Madlegs1]

I agree....i can stretch twist and contort my body for up to ten hours in pure agony...if only stretching worked for me and prob thousands others...

[nightdancer in reply to Madlegs1]

It is a help to stretch but it is not a cure, per se, it is a treatment. A cure would mean it would never come back.

[Goingthruhell]

I think telling someone who might be reading this and in a very vulnerable state that they do not need pills is an ignorant statement...im glad stretching works for u...but it is not good advice to call what works for u an overall cure...

[Mum27]

If this was true we would all be cured if only it was that simple. I to have suffered this for years 40 years and its severe, no amount of stretching helps, l cauld stretch till the cows came home it would,nt help. You have no right to tell people they don,t need pills. Nice that it works for you but its not for everyone

[nightdancer in reply to Mum27]

We would not need all of the RLS support groups for the last 22 years if stretching was an actual cure.

[Pippins2]

If only! !!

[kelka]

Stretching works for me but only for the length of time I do the stretch for. I find it helpful to hold some stretches in bed while I'm waiting for meds to kick in but I'm not able to fall asleep holding an intense pose like that.

[Benzanax]

I stetch my legs and get 30 seconds relief still sore and it 9.20 am

[Hidden]

There is NO cure for RLS. if only there was. !! Your stretching is keeping your RLS at bay, but you are not cured by any means. A cure means the RLS has gone, disappeared, never to come back ever, that is a cure.

I am happy it works for you all the stretching, for the rest of us stretching only gives relief while we are stretching. Then we take our meds to get hopefully proper relief so we can sleep.

[martino]

A couple of nights this week I have had that horrible uncontrollable urge to get up and move around. Rather than walk around I have done 15 mins or so on my exercise bike. Low tension but moving my legs around. It helped on both occasions. I could sit back down and carry on watching the news. My legs kept moving around but the urge to get up did not recur. Perhaps this did for me what stretching does for you?

[Bajatom]

Does not help me. Glad it works for you.

[Kaarina Administrator]

Hi trythis,

We are very aware on this forum that unfortunately there is no cure for RLS.

I am happy that your stretching regime works for you but we are all different and what works for some does not work for all.

[TeddyC]

I also do stretches, which helps other conditions, unfortunately for me too much walking or exercise can trigger my restless legs and render my medication useless. I really miss being able to go for a good long walk. I am pleased stretching works for you, long may it continue.

[nightdancer]

I can and do stretch my butt off, every day for my legs and my back, but it does not stop my RLS immediately, nothing does, and stretching is one thing I incorporate into my RLS regimen, lots of yoga. Glad it works for you, we all are different, but many people still need meds. There ARE different kinds of RLS, and also different levels of RLS.

[Madlegs1]

In the interest of scientific research I tried out this advice over the last day.

This the outcome-- I am now barred from my local pub, not allowed on public transport, my name is on a police watch list for suspicious behaviour and the security man in my local supermarket now follows me around all the time.

I'm still getting restless legs.😠

[valeriedee]

All the things you do to stop rls symptoms are why it is called restless legs, those muscles just don't like to be still