Restless leg, what it is and how to find relief
What is restless leg. Restless legs syndrome (RLS), also referred to as Willis-Ekbom Disease, primary RLS, and idiopathic RLS, is a neurological challenge characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an overwhelming urge to move them. These symptoms generally appear in the late afternoon or evening, becoming most severe at night during periods of rest. RLS can significantly disrupt sleep by making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. While moving the legs or walking often provides relief, the discomfort usually returns once the movement stops. RLS is classified as both a sleep disorder, due to symptoms that occur during rest, and a movement disorder, because those affected feel compelled to move their legs to ease their symptoms. (https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/restless-legs-syndrome)
For those of you who wrestle with restless leg, you know full well the frustration of experiencing it! Here are common symptoms. If you have Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), you might experience an overwhelming urge to move your legs, accompanied by unusual sensations that those without the disorder don’t typically feel. These sensations can range from aching, throbbing, and pulling to itching, crawling, or creeping. While these discomforts primarily affect your legs, they can occasionally impact your arms and, rarely, your chest or head. Generally, both sides of the body are affected, but sometimes only one side experiences the sensations.
Key characteristics of RLS include:
Sensations triggered by rest: These typically occur when you’re inactive for long periods, like during a flight or while watching a movie.
Relief with movement: Moving your legs or other affected parts of your body can ease the sensations. You might find yourself needing to pace or constantly move your legs while sitting.
Symptom worsening at night: Symptoms tend to be more severe in the evening and often improve in the early morning. This can make falling and staying asleep challenging, especially if your sleep is further disrupted by other factors.
RLS symptoms can vary in intensity and frequency from person to person and day to day. In moderately severe cases, symptoms might occur once or twice a week, causing significant delays in falling asleep and some daytime dysfunction. In severe cases, symptoms occur more frequently, more than twice a week.
What causes it. Here are common causes. The MOST common is low magnesium in the cells. This can be caused by low intake of magnesium in the diet or the needs of the body are higher than normal because of the body going through a specific time of stress or illness. It can also be caused by genetic DNA mutations that make it hard for the body to breakdown (from food or supplementation), uptake, transport, and use magnesium at the cellular level. The second most common causes are more broad-spectrum malnutrition at the cellular level and in the neurological system, toxicity that affects the brain and bacterial or viral infections that are causing inflammation in the brain. Low iron can also be
How can I know what is causing this for me specifically? Some very simple testing can help answer this question for you. To answer the question, around magnesium and iron levels in the cells I highly suggest using a whole blood test such as this one, that you can order yourself directly from the lab. https://autoimmunerecovery.wellproz.com/patient/product/63704. If you want to pair whole blood nutrient testing with a DNA test as well as have 3 months of custom supplementation formulated specifically to meet the nutritional needs of your cells, you can do so here. https://autoimmunerecovery.wellproz.com/patient/product/55039. These are powerful tools that you can access for yourself. Toxicity testing can very helpful when understanding what is driving your specific challenge of Restless Leg Syndrome. Here is a good place to begin. https://autoimmunerecovery.wellproz.com/patient/product/46615. If you are interested in exploring whether inflammation in the brain could be driving your RLS, doing a Neural Zoomer plus to discover patterns and root causes of neurological inflammation and dysfunction could be a great next step for you. You can order this test here. https://autoimmunerecovery.wellproz.com/patient/product/47833
What can I do about it, starting today? I have put together a simple protocol with suggestions that you can begin using right away including a very simple supplement protocol. This is NOT individualized. To access this protocol and purchase suggested supplements, please use this link. https://us.fullscript.com/plans/autoimmunerecovery-restless-leg-syndrome-support
Broad-spectrum digestive support. Maximizing the breakdown of magnesium from food.
Magnesium mix to support proper stimulation and relaxation of the muscles and nervous system.
Bath Crystals to be used nightly in a warm bath in preparation for bed.
Magnesium topical spray, to be applied to restless muscles.
Pure Magnesium oil that can also be applied topically to restless muscles. May be especially helpful when applied to the bottom of the feet.
Restless leg doesn’t have to interrupt your life….or you sleep! Get curious about what is causing it and find relief.
