Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

Hello People
When things get really bad, I find that the following posture gives a lot of relief -
First, to prepare, give your calf muscles a good stretch. The best way, I find, is to stand backwards on a step and drop the heels over the edge, This creates the best stretch because almost all of your body-weight is into the stretch. Hold for at least thirty seconds. Repeat if you wish, until the misery passes.
Then stretch your quadriceps.
Okay, now go to bed with two pairs of socks rolled into tight balls. Sit back on your heels, and pop the rolled-up socks between the calf muscles and the back of the thighs. (You will find the right place where it hurts most - it is a very precise spot). Put your feet into a crossed position for ease, or drop them over the edge of the bed.
Right, now take a pillow and put it on the top of your thighs, then curl up over the pillow, find a way to rest your head comfortably on your arms with a pillow or three, and wait for relief.
In this posture you get extreme compression at precisely the spot your body tells you is correct, and at the same time you stretch the quadriceps. It is the only way I have been able to find relief when things are unbearable. I have even slept in this position, for an hour or more at a time.
You will have to make adjustments for your size and suppleness. Bigger socks, more pillows, whatever it takes. It is worth a try, particularly when more night walking is just too much to bear.
I hope this may help someone out there.

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Hi Bronwen - interesting stretch. Thanks for sharing.

It is always good to hear what helps another sufferer.

It sounds to me like you are engaging in a form of trigger point release, which is receiving increasing attention in relation to RLS. See, for example, http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Rest ... Ez4-cnKpeA. I use a variety of devices to achieve a similar result. Cheers!

Now that I read it again, pamhb, the description does seem similar to trigger point release.

I have nasty and severe trigger points. Sadly, releasing them has no bearing on my RLS. Often working on them when I have RLS makes my RLS worse. But two things help - holding stretches of taut muscles and using muscles to the point of fatigue. When I read this the first time, I attributed this working because of the stretching.

I often get nasty TPs in my glutes, hips, buttocks and thighs. When in my hip/buttock, there is definitely pain - it travels down my leg - and I wonder if the pain is similar to what people with painful RLS feel. Walking definitely helps as does standing, but it is not the same at all for me as RLS - there is a bit of an urge to move, but just not the same. Wish I knew a better way to differentiate RLS from other painful conditions. Especially since for me there is no pain and I cannot know how it feels for those with painful RLS.

Bronwen, are you familiar with trigger points?

In my case, there is a definite relationship between my trigger points and my RLS. When my RLS symptoms are active, if I concentrate on feeling the point of origin for the RLS symptom, it tends to originate within muscles which are overly taut or which are now a trigger point. Not all of my trigger points are points of origin for my RLS, but my RLS gravitates towards trigger point areas.

I generally combine trigger point release with stretching. Occasionally trigger point release will exacerbate the RLS symptoms, but most of the time it calms them. I have also tried overusing certain muscles groups -- it helped calm the RLS but then was starting to irritate other joint issues that I have.

pamhb wrote:In my case, there is a definite relationship between my trigger points and my RLS. When my RLS symptoms are active, if I concentrate on feeling the point of origin for the RLS symptom, it tends to originate within muscles which are overly taut or which are now a trigger point. Not all of my trigger points are points of origin for my RLS, but my RLS gravitates towards trigger point areas.

I generally combine trigger point release with stretching. Occasionally trigger point release will exacerbate the RLS symptoms, but most of the time it calms them. I have also tried overusing certain muscles groups -- it helped calm the RLS but then was starting to irritate other joint issues that I have.

Another member said a similar thing awhile back. Reinforces my theory that this is a cluster disease with many variants. And, that we have not identified them, yet. From the pain/no pain aspect to diet, there seems to be many things that are different person to person.

I haven't had success with trigger point release. In fact, about half the time after a good massage that included some trigger point release, I get RLS that night! I'm not giving up massage, however, because it does leave me feeling like all my muscles and nerves are back in harmony with each other. But for RLS specifically, I think the stretching, the release of over taut muscles--which I also get from doing yoga--is the most effective thing. In fact when I was doing yoga regularly and walking just two miles about four days a week, I had no RLS for weeks on end!

Haven wrote:I haven't had success with trigger point release. In fact, about half the time after a good massage that included some trigger point release, I get RLS that night! I'm not giving up massage, however, because it does leave me feeling like all my muscles and nerves are back in harmony with each other. But for RLS specifically, I think the stretching, the release of over taut muscles--which I also get from doing yoga--is the most effective thing. In fact when I was doing yoga regularly and walking just two miles about four days a week, I had no RLS for weeks on end!

I find the same, Haven. Stretching is great. And, I also find a very firm "pounding" motion to be helpful. But, certain things, such as trigger point work, can bring it on.