Temperature Shock

Please share your experiences, successes, and failures in using non-drug therapies for RLS/WED (methods of relief that don't involve swallowing or injecting anything), including compression, heat, light, stretches, acupuncture, etc. Also under this heading, medical interventions that don't involve the administration of a medicine to the body (eg. varicose-vein operations, deep-brain stimulation). [This forum contains Topics started prior to 2009 that deal with Non-prescription Medicines, Supplements, & Diet.]
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xristina47
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2010 10:20 am
Location: France

Temperature Shock

Post by xristina47 »

I have lived with hereditary RLS practically all my life, (69 yrs now). Through the years I’ve found different ways to cope with it. When RSL and accompanying Periodic Leg Movements threaten to disturb my sleep in the middle of the night, my latest trick is TO CHANGE BEDS. I leave my warm bed and go into a cold one – in fact, I use a sofa in my living room, where a pillow and duvet are already waiting for me. This sudden temperature shock has the effect of gradually making the jumpiness in my legs subside. It is a trick that has worked for me time and time again in recent months, leaving me calm once more and able to continue my night’s sleep without resorting to medication. It’s worth a try, if you haven’t already experimented with change of temperature!

Rustsmith
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Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Temperature Shock

Post by Rustsmith »

My "reset" coping mechanism also uses temperature, but since I do not fair well with cold, it uses either a very hot shower or bath. My first choice is a shower that is as hot as I can stand. I let the water hit the back of my head and/or my neck. I stand under the water until my entire body is starting to get heated above normal. This usually "calms" my need to move issues.

If I am doing much worse that normal, I use a bath rather than the shower and soak just my legs in water that is near scalding hot. Once again, I sit in the tub until my upper body starts to feel hot as well. At that point, the need to move usually has usually disappeared and I can return to bed, which is now cold by comparison to my elevated body temperature.

If neither one works, then I need to hit the streets for a walk.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

Stainless
Posts: 274
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:30 pm

Re: Temperature Shock

Post by Stainless »

Scalding hot water is one of the few things that helps every time with me. Not a cure but relief.

Polar Bear
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Location: United Kingdom

Re: Temperature Shock

Post by Polar Bear »

To show how we are different - for relief, I seek the cold, as cold and icy on my legs as possible.
A big bucket of really cold water and splash it to above knee level for about 20 minutes, eventually I can feel the 'leg angst' start to drift away. It won't be for long but might just be long enough to get to sleep.
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

Yankiwi
Posts: 548
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 7:20 am
Location: West Coast, South Island, New Zealand

Re: Temperature Shock

Post by Yankiwi »

I use an ice pack from the freezer when my legs get bad and walking or stretching doesn't help.

ViewsAskew
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Location: Los Angeles

Re: Temperature Shock

Post by ViewsAskew »

I wonder what it is about temperature that helps so many of us...
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

Rustsmith
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Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Temperature Shock

Post by Rustsmith »

Ann, the clue for why temperature helps may be in the recent newsletter article that is discussed in this thread http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=9552

Athletes have used cold water soaks after competition or heavy training sessions for many years. The idea is that the cold increases blood flow through muscles that have been stressed and suffered micro-tears that would lead to soreness and stiffness the next day. The increased blood flow helps speed the repair of the muscle and helps to remove any "toxins" created by the muscle damage, such as lactic acid.

The idea also says that heat also helps increase circulation, but that heat helps relax the muscle, so it is not as effective.

Both of these approaches for treating athletes have recently fallen into question, but the concepts that they were based on remains.

In the newsletter article, it talks about how our blood flow does not increase during hypoxic challenge, so maybe cold and heat are "treatments" that increase flow in other ways.

As for me, cold is out of the question. The muscles in my feet cramp very easily. If I was to try to immerse my legs in a bucket cold water you would hear me screaming into the next county as both of my feet simultaneously cramped. My coach kept trying to get me to use cold water soaks to treat my legs after challenging runs like the rest of the members of my team. I have always refused and even the thought of doing that makes me cringe.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

ViewsAskew
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Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Temperature Shock

Post by ViewsAskew »

yeah, I thought about that. But, not evidence that we know of, correct?
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

Rustsmith
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Posts: 6476
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Temperature Shock

Post by Rustsmith »

That is correct. To me, even the evidence in the paper is still too early because it was based upon such a small sample. However, the overlap between the paper and our joint reactions to temperature shock is interesting.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

pinkynose
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:58 pm

Re: Temperature Shock

Post by pinkynose »

I live in a hot climate but I still use an electric blanket and I preheat my bed before I get in. When I wake in the night with leg issues (usually twitching) after stretching and walking I stand on the AC vent (mine is in the floor) until my feet are somewhat chilled and then get back in bed. It's complicated but often works.

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