Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) seems to become more common over the course of the last 5 to 10 years. We’ll look to answer the questions that follow. What is Restless Leg Syndrome? Why are so many people getting “Restless Leg Syndrome”? How do you fix RLS?
Restless Leg Syndrome is the feeling of a necessity to move the legs to relieve an unpleasant sensation, typically in the legs, but also possible in the arms or other areas of the body. Typically, when the person moves around, the symptoms subside. However, upon after returning to their original position, the sensations return. The symptoms are usually position dependent, meaning that they have them whenever they are in a specific position for a period of time. Laying down or sitting are the most common positions that cause these symptoms.
In all honesty, this is probably not a condition or set of symptoms that has become more common over recent years. It is more likely that the diagnosis has simply become more well-known to the public. As the diagnosis has become more public, more patients have mentioned their symptoms to their physician upon their next visit. It may also be true that this has been used in the same manner as “Fibromyalgia” as a blanket diagnosis for sleep related movement disorders that otherwise might go unclassified. The symptoms are wide ranging and vary from person to person.
So, what is the treatment? Medically, there is no widely accepted regimen for treatment of this diagnosis. There are a number of different medicines that have been prescribed for the condition with varied benefit. Typically the patient is instructed to reduce stress and increase exercise as a mean to decrease symptoms.
My question is, why not Chiropractic? Why does Chiropractic make sense? Let me explain. Typically, when you see people with these type of sensations in the leg, it is in connection with direct pressure upon the nerves that feed that area of the leg. This pressure can be due to muscle spasm, misalignment of the bones of the low back and pelvis, or both. It is quite plausible that these people are simply living with some bones improperly aligned in their low back and/or pelvis. Maybe the misalignment is mild when standing and moving, but laying down to go to sleep is increasing the amount of direct pressure on a nerve or nerves that feed the leg due to how they lay when sleeping. I have treated multiple patients who have come to my office claiming to suffer from restless leg syndrome with great results. These treatments involved nothing more than spinal adjustments, physiotherapy and a light home exercise program. Give one of our offices a call today and see if Chiropractic is right for you.
GOT RLS? TRY PREMIER CHIROPRACTIC
Dr. Joshua McDowell
Fayetteville Accident & Injury Center
