Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) – Complete Guide
Do you suffer from restless leg syndrome? Are you losing sleep? Feeling agitated with it? Did you know Scalp Acupuncture can help? Read on…….
Thanks to advancements in technology and research, we now know more than ever before about many health issues and this includes restless leg syndrome (RLS). For this reason, we have created a guide including what it is, what the main causes are, the symptoms, and a potential solution. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the problem that plagues so many.
Definition – In its essence, RLS is a health issue that causes restlessness in the legs. With an uncomfortable feeling in the legs, most RLS sufferers tend to have violent twitches in their sleep. When this happens, it is called periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS) and it can wake the sufferer up as well as any partner.
Whilst some people only experience mild aches every so often, others experience distressing symptoms that occur every single night. Normally, the severity falls on a scale between the two and if left untreated, can lead to anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Causes – Although it can run in families, the cause is widely unknown. Due to increased research, many specialists now believe that it all relates to how our body handles a chemical called dopamine. As dopamine controls movement in the muscles, it could be associated with involuntary movements. In addition to this, RLS can also be caused as a result of another issue such as kidney failure and iron deficiency anaemia and this is called secondary RLS.
Symptoms – As mentioned previously, the main symptoms are a feeling of restlessness but you can also feel pain, numbness, cold, and a certain urge to move. With RLS, the sufferer normally finds it impossible to get comfortable and there is always the need or the urge to move (no matter how frequently).
Note: RLS occurs deep in the muscles as opposed to an itchiness on the surface of the skin.
Acupuncture – If you have RLS or know someone that does, you will know that there isn’t necessarily a cure in the Western world. Although drugs will be prescribed, they often lead to side-effects but another solution, which has been healing the problem for over 2,000 years, is a combination of Chinese herbs and acupuncture. With RLS, acupuncture has been proven to be more effective than medication which is a rare occurrence in today’s world.
When it comes to traditional Chinese medicine, RLS is caused by yin deficiency which means that our body temperature isn’t regulating effectively enough. During the day, yang works by following the sun but the system falls apart at night when yin takes over. Chinese medicine suggests that our thermostat is wrong and at night, our bodies trap heat which causes RLS. Ultimately, this then leads to a downward spiral as a lack of sleep leads to more yin deficiency and so on.
In the Western word, RLS is currently treated as a neurological problem but acupuncture has been proven to keep the legs calm and therefore promote healthy sleep. Generally, an RLS sufferer sees an improvement in the main symptoms of RLS after acupuncture and sees a reduction in hot feet, churning stomach, night sweats, bed wetting, and insomnia.
So there we have it, the ultimate guide to RLS and what you can do if you suffer from the problem. If you are reading this for a solution and haven’t tried acupuncture just yet, why not give it a go?
Give Paul a call today and book your appointment 01 8240663