Restless Legs Syndrome, Natural Alternative
by Jon Barron @baselinehealth
Restless Legs Syndrome is indeed one of the hot new “conditions” being pitched in TV ads. It’s even got it’s own Foundation. Rest assured (no pun intended) there really are options.
What is RLS?
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move them for relief. Individuals affected with the disorder describe the sensations as burning, creeping, tugging, or like insects crawling inside the legs. The sensations range in severity from uncomfortable to irritating to painful.
What Causes It?
No one really knows what causes restless leg syndrome. It does tend to run in families, however, and may appear as “growing pains” in children or as pregnancy-related “leg cramps.” And it tends to get worse as people get older.
For those with mild to moderate symptoms, many physicians suggest certain lifestyle changes and activities to reduce or eliminate symptoms. Decreased use of caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco may provide some relief. Physicians may suggest that certain individuals take supplements to correct deficiencies in iron, folate, and magnesium. Taking a hot bath, massaging the legs, or using a heating pad or ice pack can help relieve symptoms in some patients.
Physicians also may suggest a variety of medications to treat RLS, including dopaminergics, benzodiazepines (central nervous system depressants), opioids, and anticonvulsants. In 2005, ropinirole became the only drug approved by the FDA specifically for the treatment of moderate to severe RLS.
What I Think
I think the answers are inherent in what we already know, which is more than most people think:
- It responds to dietary and lifestyle changes
- It responds to programs that balance out hormones
(Clue: It frequently puts in an appearance during menopause.) - It responds to massage and physical therapy
- It responds to detoxification programs
In other words, whatever genetic factors may be involved, lifestyle choices can significantly change the outcome.
The first thing I usually recommend is to take care of the nutritional aspects:
- Folic acid 5,000-20,000 micrograms
- Iron 18 milligrams
- Magnesium 400 milligrams
- Vitamin E (full spectrum)100-400 international units
Try using a natural progesterone creme to balance out any estrogen dominance that may serve as a trigger, and if that doesn’t help, you can try an all natural estriol (the good estrogen) creme in case the trigger is a sudden drop in estrogen.
Try cleaning up your act by doing a series of detoxes:
- Intestinal
- Heavy metal
- Liver/Gallbladder
- Blood
And by all means, employ the physical:
- Infrared saunas that work up a good sweat can be tremendously beneficial.
- Massage and bodywork are definitely useful.
- And finally, I know someone who had major restless leg syndrome and was unable to get any relief through any nutritional approach. I got them to try a type of massage called BioSync. This is a very deep, very intense type of body work. After just one session, the RLS went away, never to return. The problem is that there are only a handful of BioSync practitioners. Mostly California and about 6 or 7 other states — and some international. If you’re not near a BioSync practitioner, you might try and find someone near you who does deep muscle work like Rolfing or Heller work.
About the Author
Disillusioned by what he found in mainstream medicine and his pre-med courses at Lake Forest College, Jon decided to walk away from it all and blaze his own path in the area of disease prevention and treatment through personal exploration and research with some of the greatest alternative healers in the world. He worked with doctors ranging in expertise from Chinese medicine to Ayurvedic therapies, from rainforest herbs to Native American traditions, and from African herbology to healing wonders of the Australian Outback.
Jon became one of only a handful of people in the world to successfully blend all of these disciplines together in the development of cutting edge nutraceuticals, making him known to many as the “Health Renaissance Man.” Today, science is finally proving the effectiveness of these natural remedies, and Jon continues to work with research centers and doctors world-wide to integrate natural, safe remedies into western medicine. Unlike most health experts who tout a “magic bullet” for health such as a specific vitamin, herb, diet, or activity, Jon Barron rejected popular sentiment by reminding consumers of the well-known fact: there are no magic bullets.
Material originally published at www.jonbarron.org.
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I've had RLS since a child though I wouldn't have called it such. Symptoms were mild and occasional. However, unexpectedly (i.e. I wasn't seeking treatment for it or even thinking about it), it cleared in a session I had using the BodyTalk system. This treats individuals on an individual basis and works on physical, mental, energetic levels. In my case it seemed to have to do with an ancestral memory in my body of having to "run for my life" I found it fascinating and only days later when my legs weren't hurting at night did I connect the two.
Laura, thanks for sharing your success. Both my interest and philosophical constructs when working with a client are to free the individual of limitations moving toward function and homeostasis. And, by limitations, I mean the tightness, non-flexibility, pain, nerve impingement, cross-linked tissues, etc. associated with the physical and psycho-emotional effects of insults, injuries and trauma. It is my opinion and experience that by opening up the body the natural consequence is liberation.
I think you will appreciate not only this article but also the associated graphic:
https://www.biosync.com/2012/trauma-anatomy/
I've had RLS since a child though I wouldn't have called it such. Symptoms were mild and occasional. However, unexpectedly (i.e. I wasn't seeking treatment for it or even thinking about it), it cleared in a session I had using the BodyTalk system. This treats individuals on an individual basis and works on physical, mental, energetic levels. In my case it seemed to have to do with an ancestral memory in my body of having to "run for my life" I found it fascinating and only days later when my legs weren't hurting at night did I connect the two.