Just wondering if anyone else has tried acupuncture for RLS? I am actually doing it for Chemo induced neuropathy but mentioned to them about RLS. Only been trying it for 3 weeks now but I have seen some improvement but I also started Gentle Iron around the same time. My Ferritin level is very low, 11 at last blood work. Will be see a neurologist from Vanderbilt in 3 weeks, hoping he has some new answers. My current GP isn't very knowledgable about RLS at least the newer findings. I recently started taking Gabapentin 300 mg before bed with .5 mg of Requip. I have been augumenting for about a year now but usually don't take extra meds unless I am somewhere I can't get up and move around. Just wondering if anyone has tried Acupuncture? Thanks
Accupuncture and RLS: Just wondering if... - Restless Legs Syn...
Accupuncture and RLS
As no-one has answered you - I spent a lot of money on visiting the top acupuncture Centre in London. Chinese professors visit. They were honest enough to admit it wouldn't help & it didn't.
I'd concentrate on raising your serum ferritin above 100, preferably 200 as 11 is a red flag for RLS. It will take months to raise levels so see if you can get an infusion. 60% show dramatic improvement. And as you're augmenting, keep reducing the Ropinirole while increasing the gabapentin.
Thanks for the response, I am hoping when I see neurologist in Nov, he will do blood infusion since ferrittin is so low.
I started doing acupuncture for RLS four years ago and it has helped me quite a bit. The lady that I see practices Chinese medicine as well and gives me supplemental herbs. I think it’s success depends on the underlying cause - my acupuncturist says that I don’t have a lot of blood and I have a lot of circulatory issues, and that is her hypothesis of why I experience RLS. So for me, acupuncture has been really helpful to increase blood and circulation, and reduce stagnation and damp in my system. My neurologist says that I am his only patient that sees an acupuncturist for this :).. and for me I’ve just experienced that there’s not one thing that is a complete fix, but there are many things that help some of the time. So I do a lot of alternative therapies on top of taking gabapentin daily.
how much gabapentin are you taking?
600mg every night
600 mg of gabapentin is a low dose. According to the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS: "Most RLS patients require 1200 to 1800 mg of gabapentin daily." Ask your doctor for 100 mg capsules and increase it by 100 mg every couple of days until you find the dose that works for you. Take it 1-2 hours before bedtime. Since you need more than 600 mg take the extra 4 hours before bedtime as it is not as well absorbed above 600 mg. If you need more than 1200 mg, take the extra 6 hours before bedtime. If you take magnesium, take it at least 3 hours before gabapentin as it interferes with the absorption.of gabapentin.
Also have you had your ferritin checked? Improving it to 100 or more helps 60% of people with RLS.
Where did she place the needles? In your back or legs?
I tried acupuncture twice a week for about nine months, and it didn’t have any effect on my RLS.
Where were the needles placed?
Hi. No idea. The doctor was a Chinese trained physician, so I trusted her placement. But I have no real idea as to what her strategy was.
Same here. I had 10 sessions and no chance re RLS. Sorry!
Where were the needles placed?
I can't remember. It was 16 years ago. I was so desperate. Had 10 sessions and it didn't help.
I just finished 20 sessions of acupuncture with no RLS improvement.
Where were the needles placed?
Mostly in the head, neck, shoulders and upper back. If I remember correctly he put some in ankle area.
Sorry it didn't help me.
Thanks to everyone who replied re acupuncture, very helpful (and a bit sad)!! ! Chrissey
I went to a very good "alternative" doctor (used to be a GP) and he did a course of acupuncture but no no avail.
Last year a physio was sure acupuncture would work for me. Again no luck.
Where were the needles placed?
I practice acupuncture myself, so tried it for my RLS. But unfortunately my RLS actually got worse during the initial acupuncture trial, so I stopped.
Wow
My acupuncturist told me that it's often expected for the symptoms to worsen for the first night or two after treatment when the body is very depleted, as it's attempting to do what it barely has enough "qi" to do. But eventually, things start to improve. I have personally found this to be true, not just with RLS but with other issues for which I've received acupuncture.
Yes, as an acupuncturist myself I agree. But unfortunately my own experience trialling acupuncture for my own restless legs was that it appeared to make it worse for a few weeks.
I'm so sorry . . . And please forgive me for having a lectured at a professional acupuncturist! I hope you find a cure . . .
Not at all, you made a very good point! Thanks for the discussion 😊
Thank YOU for your kindness!
So what are you doing for your RLS?
Trying to get roughly the same amount of exercise every day (much more or much less than usual makes it worse). Gentle evening exercise. Cooling works well for me when it’s bad, E.g. going into a cold bed, cold water etc. I have an understanding husband who sleeps with me on good nights and gives me space in another bed on bad nights. Gentle exercise in a hot tub before bed, then going into a cool bed is fantastic, but I realise that not everyone can access that.
Have you thought about taking gabapentin which can completely control your symptoms? Have you had your ferritin checked? Improving it to 100 or more helps 60% of people with RLS.
Thank you so much for this. Yes, ferritin checked. I am not a big fan of gabapentin, but if my RLS gets worse then I guess the side effects will be worth it. Thanks again.
Where did you place the needles?
I tried this some time ago and I’m afraid I can’t remember which points I decided on. I certainly used LIV3, and GB34, but I don’t remember the others. Sorry.
The reason why I ask is in the early stages of our courtship, my husband used to massage my back when I was experiencing RLS (before Mirapex). When he hit a spot in my lower buttocks between middle of butt and side of body, the spasms immediately stopped and I could sleep. I am trying to find that spot in acupuncture/pressure sites. Could this one be it? I thought it was a tad closer to the mid point of the back but this is the only one in close proximity to the point I remember. Probably way too simplistic, but some people on this site have experienced increased RLS if they need to pee...
The description: "GB30
GB30 or Gallbladder 30 is also known as the Jumping Round point is another local acupressure point for hip pain relief. This is the crossing point of the Gall Bladder and the Urinary Bladder meridians. This point can be located by moving three-quarters into gluteal muscles from the middle of the sacrum. It is located between the sacrum and greater trochanter. Stimulating this point on both the hips helps in relieving pain in the buttocks, useful for sciatica, lower back pain, hip joint inflammation, muscle pains and spasms. It also helps in relieving leg pain, lumbar pain and hemiplegia.
That’s interesting. GB30 is the point I use to needle the piriformis muscle for piriformis syndrome. Hadn’t considered it for RLS, but you might have hit on something?
Hi everyone, thank you all for the acupuncture comments. I am scheduled for an initial consult this week to try it. After reading of the collective experiences I'm not sure if I want to go to the consult. The acupuncturist uses a Thai technique called 'opening the wind gate'. In English it's referred to as a 'blood stop'. The idea is to compress an area such that blood flow is reduced. This is maintained for up to a minute, and then released. Does anyone who tried acupuncture know if this was the technique used on them? Just curious. For the most part my RLS is under control as long as I follow my regime of diet; but maybe once or twice a week I have it bad for a couple of hours after going to bed. Then if I track back to my day's event I can generally see that it might have been triggered by something I ate or a flare up of inflammation from an injury or working in the yard to hard and to long... that kind of thing.
I am interested in the diet you have found to be helpful. I have controlled my RLS (almost) by a diet that is fairly restrictive but certainly better than RLS. Can you please pass on some details of foods you have found you can eat?
Graham3196 would also like to hear about your diet too 
I started following a FODMAP diet and had very positive response to it. I downloaded the FODMAP app on my phone so I can quickly refer to it if I'm out and forget as to whether I can eat a particular food. It has helped with my GI discomfort and in turn helps control my RLS. I can tell immediately when I eat a food that I shouldn't. FODMAP stands for fermentable, oligosaccharides, disaccarides, monosaccharides and polyols which are short chain carbs (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly. Just a side note; it has nothing to do with weight loss but everything to do with a healthier gut for me.
Thanks I started with a gluten free diet but it failed too often so I went to a FODMAP diet which was much better but I still leave some foods out.
See above reply to Boldgirl45
I heard acupuncture helps RLS and I tried it. It worked. Before covid I went 2X a week for a couple of months. I went from 4 (.5mg) ropinrole to 1 (.5mg). I was always scared to stop completely. Acupuncture helped me in other ways too.....more emotionally balanced. One day I was so angry (with my sister in law...long story). I told my acupuncturist, she listened, and I left that day calmer. She closed her office with covid and when opened I could only go once a week.....it didn't help this time. However, if I had lots of money and time, I would have acupuncture as part of my life.....not only for RLS but for a more balanced life!
Thanks everyone for all the commets, I have daily RLS for several years but thankfully my dosage has stayed smallish. I plan to see a new accupuncturst this week, she stays booked up months in advance. My insurance will cover her plus she is also my GP and hope to talk to her about my RLS problems, she felt my Ferritin level of 11 was within range 😔. I will keep trying it for neuropathy as long as I can afford it but hubby has to drive me an hour out of town for the one I have been doing for a few months. New one is local and I can drive myself. My neurpoathy isn't that bad as many but was hoping to speed up the process after Chemo. Thanks again everyone, love this site!
I had acupuncture on at least two separate occasions, involving multiple sessions and it made absolutely no difference.
I tried it but it didn’t help me and I tried two different doctors.
Accupuncture did NOT help me at all.
Yes, acupuncture is helping me enormously. But it depends on the acupuncturist. I saw no results with the first practitioner I saw, and left her after four visits. With the one I'm now seeing, I felt improvement after one visit. I've had only two visits so far, and I was able to sleep without RLS 4 out of the last 7 nights. I hope that my RLS will be completely gone.
Like you, I was put on gabapentin, but gave it up after one night due to grogginess and blurry vision, even with only 100 mg. I prefer Chinese medicine to western drugs, because the former address root causes and heals your body, while the latter only suppresses symptoms, often with side effects. I wish you luck, and hope that you won't give up on acupuncture. Call around, read reviews, and talk to the practitioner before you commit.
Thanks, I am seeing a different accupuncturist in the morning. I really like the family of accupuncturist's I am seeing last month or so but not sure how long I will give it. My neuropathy has not improved at all but understand that Chemo neuropathy may take a long time or never goes away. I talked to them about RLS and they are treating both.
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