Page 1 of 2

Feldenkrais

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 5:41 am
by legsbestill
Has anybody tried this? It was recommended to me by a physiotherapist. It is also known as Awareness Through Movement. I had my first session last week and another one tomorrow. It was very interesting and enjoyable. The premise is that using gentle manipulation of the body, the brain is retrained to create optimal pathways ... neuroplastic ... impulses ... fairies dancing through the nervous system ... Oh google it, I can't remember exactly. Actually I'm not even sure what I think it can do for my rls except obviously provide that miracle cure that has so far eluded me. The therapist recommends 3 to five sessions. Can't say there has been any improvement in rls but who knows? I will post if I find my symptoms disappearing.

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 10:20 am
by ViewsAskew
My guess is elusion will continue. But, it may help you in other ways. I studied some other similar techniques when I was studying the effects of trauma on the body 15-20 years ago. I don't recall any science backing it up...but it was a long time ago.

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:23 pm
by legsbestill
Should that be 'delusion' will continue?

I really am under no illusions (about elusion (!)) - my main reason for trying it is to correct an outward turning right foot which is becoming more pronounced. I always mention my rls when getting any form of non-medical treatment, partly because I sort of enjoy hearing the enthusiastic, misinformed assertions of confidence - a bit like picking at a sore - and partly because (and I realise there is an inherent inconsistency here) I cannot quite rid myself of the notion that alternative therapies will be able to effect miraculous outcomes which escape the more conventional and scientifically established treatments.

Perhaps I am more influenced than I care to admit by my mother who called recently to encourage me to 'use mind over matter' and 'really fight' the rls, asserting that no one knows my own body like I do ... except her apparently. She seemed genuinely surprised when I was unreceptive and even irritated. We had a big row.

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:52 pm
by Yankiwi
For a few years my husband had Feldenkrais once a week. One leg was shorter than the other and he had mild curvature of the spine. Mostly he enjoyed the interaction with the practitioner and felt better afterwards but it had no real effect.

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 9:31 am
by badnights
by my mother who called recently to encourage me to 'use mind over matter' and 'really fight' the rls, asserting that no one knows my own body like I do ... except her apparently. She seemed genuinely surprised when I was unreceptive and even irritated.
Mothers! This reminds me of a guy who said (with that confidently ringing authority totally inappropriate to someone who was born incapable of ever having the problem he spoke of) that women with PMS had been having it for years so they should have learned to get over it by now.

But - aside aside - I also feel there is something to the alternative therapy approach that is flirting around the edges of a lot of these discussions. It is not clear yet. But there seems to be some kind of physical trauma as a trigger to the WED/RLS in many cases, so why not seek a physical change that could improve it?

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:22 pm
by ViewsAskew
legsbestill wrote:Should that be 'delusion' will continue?

I really am under no illusions (about elusion (!)) - my main reason for trying it is to correct an outward turning right foot which is becoming more pronounced. I always mention my rls when getting any form of non-medical treatment, partly because I sort of enjoy hearing the enthusiastic, misinformed assertions of confidence - a bit like picking at a sore - and partly because (and I realise there is an inherent inconsistency here) I cannot quite rid myself of the notion that alternative therapies will be able to effect miraculous outcomes which escape the more conventional and scientifically established treatments.

Perhaps I am more influenced than I care to admit by my mother who called recently to encourage me to 'use mind over matter' and 'really fight' the rls, asserting that no one knows my own body like I do ... except her apparently. She seemed genuinely surprised when I was unreceptive and even irritated. We had a big row.


I meant elusion - the act of eluding. But delusions and illusions are part of it, I suppose, lol.

Ah, the things parents say. My mom once told me that I wasn't creative. I suffered under that believe for much too long before confronting it and tossing it. I mentioned it to her afterward - she said she had no clue why she said it because it isn't true. So. Who knows what she meant at the time or how I interpreted something that may have been said slightly different that I remember.

Clearly your mother does NOT have RLS!

That you like to mention the RLS to hear the misinformed assertions of confidence gives me faith. No worries here about you holding your own in a medical setting!

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 5:53 pm
by Polar Bear
In a given setting, if I am having to be mobile and/or the subject of RLS arises, I am very quick to put folk right if they are incorrect or misinformed with regard to RLS.
It's my big passion that I don't let incorrect /misinformation pass without putting it right, or as right as is possible given that we are all different.

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 9:08 pm
by Yankiwi
Polar Bear, good for you. I can't remember how many times people without a clue have told me how to treat/cure my RLS.

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 10:53 pm
by ViewsAskew
Polar Bear wrote:In a given setting, if I am having to be mobile and/or the subject of RLS arises, I am very quick to put folk right if they are incorrect or misinformed with regard to RLS.
It's my big passion that I don't let incorrect /misinformation pass without putting it right, or as right as is possible given that we are all different.



And thank you very much, from all RLS sufferers, everywhere. We need strong advocates.

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 12:52 am
by Polar Bear
I meant elusion - the act of eluding. But delusions and illusions are part of it, I suppose, lol.
Indeed !!

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 12:58 am
by Polar Bear
My car wears the large magnetic RLS Ribbon at the back with the smaller version on each window. I hope that someone has noticed the information. I dream of finding a message under my windscreen wiper and knowing that one person has found a good information source. The same large RLS ribbon is on a window in my home.

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 8:05 am
by ViewsAskew
I was in California when I received the large magnetic ribbon. My friend was letting me drive her Volkswagen Beetle - it was powder blue. The Ribbon looks great on it! Amy left it on there after I left...but I don't know if anyone has ever noticed or asked her about it.

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:14 pm
by legsbestill
:wink: Ann, I knew what you meant by 'elusion' - I really enjoyed the unusual use of the word and was just playing with it - I didn't intend to correct you (will now attempt my new-found ability with emojis ... Ok it didn't go quite to plan as emoji is at start but I guess it's a learning curve)

PB, I applaud you in your hard line stance against the gain-sayers. I just can't move past the looks of blank incomprehension, almost invariably followed up by an assertion that they too suffer from sleep difficulties and a couple of suggestions regarding insomnia (camomile tea, magnesium, valerian, meditation etc). I don't think I have the strength required to convey just how off-beam they are.

I find that if someone has experience of rls themselves or has a loved one with it, their response is quite, quite different. Of course, in that case I immediately pass on as much of what I know as they are prepared to take. I do find that sometimes people will come back to me, sometimes years later, asking about rls because they know I have struggled with it and now they have it themselves or someone close to them does.

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:27 pm
by legsbestill
I forgot to mention Epsom salts, tonic water, aromatherapy, soap in the bed, 'a sleeping pill'(!oh yeah! I never thought of that!), yoga, more exercise, less exercise, no computers, 'a cup of tea and a slice of toast' (what have I done that would make them think that I am the sort of person who would waste good oxygen mentioning a condition which would respond to a cup of tea and a slice of toast?).

Re: Feldenkrais

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:43 am
by ViewsAskew
legsbestill wrote::wink: Ann, I knew what you meant by 'elusion' - I really enjoyed the unusual use of the word and was just playing with it - I didn't intend to correct you (will now attempt my new-found ability with emojis ... Ok it didn't go quite to plan as emoji is at start but I guess it's a learning curve)

PB, I applaud you in your hard line stance against the gain-sayers. I just can't move past the looks of blank incomprehension, almost invariably followed up by an assertion that they too suffer from sleep difficulties and a couple of suggestions regarding insomnia (camomile tea, magnesium, valerian, meditation etc). I don't think I have the strength required to convey just how off-beam they are.

I find that if someone has experience of rls themselves or has a loved one with it, their response is quite, quite different. Of course, in that case I immediately pass on as much of what I know as they are prepared to take. I do find that sometimes people will come back to me, sometimes years later, asking about rls because they know I have struggled with it and now they have it themselves or someone close to them does.


Well, no worries that I was offended - nor did I take it as correction. Figured you were either playing with words or genuinely curious - either way, all is good. And you have that cute emoji at the beginning of the sentence, you've got it!

Speaking of helping...I've been posting RLS Foundation stuff on my Facebook feed. I have shared a bit about my plight. The other day a friend I haven't talked to much for the last ten years contacted me privately asking for my phone number to talk about RLS. Advocacy is good!