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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Restless Leg- Time to give it a rest?



   Restless Legs syndrome is a very uncomfortable affliction affecting somewhere between 3% to more than 15% of the population. It is painful, but more seriously it is a sleep thief, keeping sufferers from having comfort and uninterrupted sleep. Cumulatively this can harm health, concentration, relationships, driving safety and work performance. Restless Leg Syndrome  (or RLS) is hard to diagnose. There can be a variety of issues involved, including an associated illness. The overall symptom is discomfort in the legs that appears after beginning any rest.   
   Sufferers have a strong urge to move their legs, which they may be unable to resist. The need to move can be accompanied by sensations that have been described as “creeping”, “itching”, “pulling”, “creepy-crawly”, “tugging”, or “’gnawing”. Symptoms start or increase when resting, the longer the rest, the greater chance the symptoms will occur and the more severe they are likely to be. Symptoms are worse in the evening; postures that can be bothersome during the night are not a problem during the day. Symptoms can reduce when legs are moved, with complete or partial relief coming for as long as the movement continues.       
   RLS often runs in families. It can appear as the result of an underlying condition such as peripheral neuropathy, kidney failure, Parkinson’s and diabetes. Successful treatment of the underlying disease can provide relief of the RLS. Anemia and low iron levels can contribute to worsening of the condition. ADHD is common in children and adults with RLS. More than 80 percent of people with RLS also experience a more common condition known as periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD). PLMD is characterized by involuntary leg twitching or jerking movements during sleep that typically occur every 10 to 60 seconds, sometimes throughout the night.    Unlike RLS, the movements caused by PLMD are involuntary-people have no control over them                                                                        
    There has been no research done on the myofascial nature of RLS, as that is not a road that pharmaceutical companies can make a profit on. That said there is ample physical evidence for a fascial basis for RLS, with it cutting across age, gender, and illness lines. The fascial tissue of the body is a common point. 
    If the fascia can be released of excessive tension, then the need to move can go away. And that, with Bowenwork, is what it does. While there have been no controlled clinical tests done using Bowenwork on RLS and PLMD, anecdotal evidence from around the world points to Bowen as having a simple drug-free solution to RLS that can give from 6 months to several years of relief.
References: www.rls.org/NetCommunity/Page; www.ninds.nih.gov/disorder/restlessl_legs/detail_restless_legs.htm
Please check on www.bowenwork.com for practitioners located around the world.
I'd love to hear what you think of this post and any requests you have for future posts.
Thanks
Kevin Minney 2011

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