restiffic foot wraps

[nick-the-turk]

Restiffic foot wraps just read an article about these is there anyone using them or know if there any good and where i can purchase them if they are worth the money thanks all

[Bajatom]

Restiffic Foot Wrap Report.

I just completed a 3-week trial using the Restiffic Foot Wrap. I will report on three things. 1) Quality, design, and guarantee, 2) My experience using the wrap, 3) My recommendation & how to make your own for about $10-15 US dollars.

1) The wrap is a well-designed and quality-made item. It consists of two parts: a 10 x 25 cm mostly polyurethane & nylon wrap. There are 3 straps on one end and 3 buckles on the other, and a 7 x 10 cm pocket at the buckle end to hold a high density polyurethane T about 1 cm thick. Once buckled, the straps are held in place by velcro. You can watch how the wrap is placed on your foot and adjusted for tightness on videos at restific.com. My son teaches kite surfing and repairs kites, boards, backpacks, etc. so I am familiar with cost of materials and time to sew a wrap like this together. The wrap probably has about $10-20 US dollars of material, and another $10-20 of sewing time. A lot of thought has been put into the design and materials. However, the 30 day money-back satisfaction guarantee that comes with a pair of wraps states that "the device has a lifespan of 6 months. Due to material wear-and-tear, the medical efficacy can only be guaranteed for a defined lifespan. This assumes correct handling of the component (e.g. proper care, application, and removal)." I paid $378 including shipping and handling from Michigan to my home in California. I think it would probably last more than 6 months, but even at one year that means $378 a year needed to replace the wrap annually. If this were not a medical device, and manufactured by a running shoe company, it might sell for $ 50.

2) My experience. I ordered Restiffic on June 29 and received it on July 7. I am fairly limber, but I found putting a wrap on, threading the straps through the buckles on the bottom of my foot, and getting the tension adjusted was frustrating. It is recommended that you do not walk with the wraps on, so when you need to get up in the middle of the night, in the dark and half asleep, it is really frustrating to put the wraps back on. I finally discovered that once I have the fit and tension correct, I can just slip the wraps on or off without going through the threading and adjusting procedure. This includes the covers that go on over the wraps to keep the velcro from attaching to blankets, etc. This is not mentioned in the instructions. So the first night I followed instructions and tightened the three adjusting straps to give a snug but comfortable fit. I was still tapering of gabapentin medication and took just 150 mg at bedtime the first night using Restiffic. I usually have very mild RLS when first going to bed, but wake up after 1-3 hours with RLS really strong in feet and legs, and sometimes upper body. I woke up after 2 hours with terrible pain in both feet as well as RLS. The pain was right behind the little toes at the widest part of the foot and radiated all across both feet. I immediately took the wraps off and tried to get back to sleep. The next day I loosened the strap that tightens the part of the wrap just behind the little toe . The same thing happened the second night. So again, the next day I loosened the other straps a slight amount. I wore the wraps again that night but had the usual RLS symptoms. For the next three weeks I wore the wraps most nights without taking any medication. I also tried going to bed without the wraps, and then putting them on when I woke in a few hours with RLS symptoms. Twice I did not wear them at all in order to compare the difference in symptoms with and without the wraps. I could not detect any difference. For me, the wraps do not lessen symptoms. For the majority of the 30 or so people in the trial reported at restiffic.com it appeared to help. I called the company and they gave me the information I needed to return the wraps for a full refund, which I did.

3) Recommendations. If you can afford $378 to $400 (depending upon where you live) for a 30 day money-back trial, I see no reason not to give it a try. However, especially if the company is correct that medical efficacy is probably no more than 6 months, the wraps become very expensive if not covered by medical insurance -- close to $800 a year.

I do not think anyone knows why the wraps seem to work for some people. The theory is the pressure on two muscles in the bottom of the foot somehow masks symptoms or even regulate dopamine. This is all conjecture. As we all know, sometimes new things work for a short time, then work no more. I see no evidence for choosing the two muscles the T-pad press against except it worked for the inventor. A different placement of the T-pad might work better for someone else. I am going to experiment with this and explain how you can do the same thing.

The T-pad is high density polyurethane about 1 cm thick that is used in roll-up camping pads for sleeping on. I was able to buy a piece at a local camping store. I cut out a 10 cm high, 7 cm wide top T with the upright and top both 3 cm wide. I don't think there is anything special about the T shape, and will experiment with other combinations if I get no results with the T in various positions. Next, I bought a pair of compression socks for about $10. I also used an old ace bandage elastic wrap. If things work out, I will use a heavy material about 10 by 25 cm and sew wide strips of velcro on opposite sides of each end for adjusting the wrap tension on the T-pad and foot bottom. Place the high-density T on the bottom of your right foot so that the shorter T top runs along the bottom edge of the inside (big toe side) of the foot, partly on the bottom, partly on the side. Position the T top so that the front is just behind the pad behind the big toe, and the other end just in from of the heal pad. The long part of the T pad then will cross from one side of the foot to the other. Tape in place, or if it is easy, slip the compression sock over your foot and the T pad. Now wrap the compression sock and T pad with an elastic bandage or other wraping device that is about 10 cm wide so that it is snug but not painful. The muscles that Restiffic target have trigger points that can become very tender. If you poke around and find these tender points on the targeted muscles or even experiment with other muscles of the foot, then move the T pad to press against these points; you might find a different result.

Conclusion: I am not convinced that the wraps work as described. However, my case does not negate the results the 30 or so people seemed to experience in the Restiffic trial. The company made a quality product, but if it loses medical efficacy in 6 months for people who find it helps, the price would become untenable. Someone on this site posted that they just wrapped their feet with a bandage and found significant relief of RLS symptoms. I hope they report back soon. That might be a good place to start.

I just got a Google Alert that someone just got a patent on a near infrared light therapy that reduces RLS symptoms. So we may soon have another device to test.

Good Luck

.

[Kaarina Administrator in reply to Bajatom]

Hi Bajatom

Thank you so much for keeping your word and letting us know how you got on with the wrap. Also in such great detail. It is a brilliant report, very informative. I found it really interesting to hear what you had to say about it and how it was for you.

I am sure others will be interested to read your posting too. Again, many thanks.

Kaarina

[Hidden in reply to Bajatom]

Thanks for such a detailed comment on the wraps and your experience of using them. They are not coming to the UK any time soon, but even if they did, its not money i would be paying out to try them even if you do get a refund.

I have heard of the infrared light therapy thing, its been around for a while.

[tlc789]

I also got these wraps and think they might help lessen symptoms a little bit, but it wasn't a miracle cure for me by any means. I ended up keeping them because I do think they help a little.

One of the most worrisome things, however, is I get pressure lesions (bed sores) on the outside of my foot by my pinkie toe base sometimes, especially if I sleep on my side. I'm not wearing the wrap too tightly.

You can also find more user reviews on the actual restiffic site.