Are your shoes causing RLS?

[Newfeet]

Hi Everyone, I've suffered with RLS for 50 years. I have lost countless hours of sleep and tried everything out there. In the past treating my anaemia usually helped, but recently nothing has helped apart from applying heat wraps to my lower back. Until now that is.

This spring I started to have pains in the balls of my feet. I didn't bother getting it diagnosed as I found that wearing completely flat shoes solved the problem. So I spent the summer in beach sandals and sneakers. Every time I returned to my normal shoes the pain came back. As the autumn approached I started to research footwear online to try and find something I could wear in the winter months. I came across barefoot shoes. After much research I decided to send for some. Barefoot shoes, yes it's an oxymoron, but they typically have thin flexible soles, zero drop heels and a very wide toe box. I have very wide feet and have had a lifetime of struggling to find anything comfortable. After a few days of wearing shoes that didn't cramp my toes I noticed that I no longer suffered with RLS every night. I also noticed my posture improved and so did my backache.

That was 3 weeks ago now and as long as I don't sit badly during the day I still seem to be free of the pain and suffering of RLS.

I'm very aware that while listening to my body and making changes has helped me, this may not be of any use to some of you. However if you are thinking of trying barefoot shoes please do your own research online as they may not be suitable for everyone or for every occasion. Also they can be expensive! I've had to purchase 3 pairs as I really don't want to go back to wearing my old shoes anymore!

I'm not medically trained and have no idea why shoes have made such a difference to me, but I guess tight, ill fitting shoes can compresses nerves and restrict blood flow. Any ideas?

Don't stop looking for a cure, I stumbled on this by accident.

Best wishes

[Madlegs1]

Great to discover that. Go well!

[SueJohnson]

That's great! So glad it works for you.

[Munroist]

Glad you have found relief. You mention that RLS happens if you sit badly which I assume you mean with poor posture, and that the shoes had improved your standing posture. It seems possible that you have some sort of back/nerve issue which might aggravate the nerves when your posture is bad and make them more susceptible to your underlying RLS. There is an acknowledged connection between nerve pain (neuropathy) and RLS.

[Newfeet in reply to Munroist]

Yes I think I do have some sort of back issue. I had reflexology once and the reflexologist told me I did. I've not been to my GP about it as most of the time I'm not in pain. They will prescribe anti inflammatories which give me dreadful side effects.

Many thanks for your response and valuable insight.

[RLSLearner]

Great! Sounds like you have secondary RLS. There is a paper were a person had painful neuromas removed from their feet and RLS resolved. Also plenty were deep vein insufficiency treatment helped. Interestingly you were helped for years which fits with the usually 'idiopathic' RLS underlying factor of Brain Iron Deficiency (BID).

[Newfeet in reply to RLSLearner]

Many thanks for replying and for throwing some light on this. I'll have a look at neuromas and RLS though I think my foot pain was possibly metatarsalgia as I developed callouses. As for deep vein insufficiency, yes I'll have a search.

[DicCarlson]

I've used barefoot shoes for awhile - really as a training tool - two or more days/week. They do indeed foster a greater "communication" between your feet and the rest of your body. Beware of using them straight out a lot, there can be a learning curve (muscle imbalances, etc) - maybe just a few hundred yards at the get go - ramp up from there.

[Newfeet in reply to DicCarlson]

Thanks for the advice DicCarlson. I ve been wearing flat beach sandals all summer and sneakers with very thin soles, so it's not been too bad. I've gone for the Lems Primal 2 which have a bit of cushioning and also the Freet Tundra for working on my allotment. No other shoes give my feet so much space.

[RLSdaily in reply to Newfeet]

I love my Lems Drifters- but I still have the RLS just with comfy toes

[Newfeet in reply to RLSdaily]

Shoes are a big piece in the puzzle for me, but everyone is different I guess.

[John_naylor]

I find that when I wear jeans which are a little tight my legs feel sensitive in an evening and my RLS symptoms are worse. I now wear a loose pair of trousers in an evening and it seems to help!

[Newfeet in reply to John_naylor]

Hi John,Yes I've also noticed tight clothes can cause me to suffer with restlessness in the evening and the symptoms improve if I change into something looser. This however is a bit different from the night time RLS, as I dont wear anything tight in bed. Also it's odd that wearing tight shoes during the day should appear to cause RLS at night. Kind of delayed reaction.