Natural Remedies for Restless Leg Syndrome

I have a close relative that suffers from Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). I actually didn’t know that he had the disorder until a few months ago, but he has had it for about 5 years. This means five years of sleepless nights, tossing and turning, and that uncontrollable urge to keep his legs moving when he is in bed at night and sometimes when he is simply sitting in a chair. I only found out about it when we were sharing juicing recipes and he began talking about juicing and natural remedies for Restless Leg Syndrome.

With over 12 million Americans suffering from RLS, it is no wonder that there is such a push to find a cure for RLS. Until recent years, there wasn’t any medication available for it. Even though there are medications on the market now, many people would prefer to search for natural remedies for Restless Leg Syndrome instead of taking prescription medication. There are many different natural remedies for Restless Leg Syndrome on the market as well as lifestyle changes that you can make to help get rid of RLS or at least alleviate the symptoms. Essential oils, herbs, vitamins and supplements are all natural remedies for Restless Leg Syndrome that have worked for thousands of people. Lifestyle changes and diet changes such as yoga, massage, juicing and increasing calcium and folate intake are also linked to natural remedies for Restless Leg Syndrome.

How many more restless nights are you going to have before you start taking control of your life and your RLS. You don’t have to suffer and you may not have to take medications with all the natural remedies for Restless Leg Syndrome available. With so many options available, you should be able to find a natural remedy for RLS that works for you.

Take control of your life and your RLS today. Learn about natural remedies for Restless Leg Syndrome and be on your way to a good night’s sleep in no time. For information on a fast, all-natural treatment for Restless Leg Syndrome symptoms, visit http://www.stoprls.info

Get your 100% satisfaction guaranteed, fast, http://www.stoprls.info all-natural treatment for Restless Leg Syndrome online now.

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Controlling the Jitters - What Causes Restless Leg Syndrome?

You are going about your day and suddenly you get the urge to move your leg. You can’t control it, it will move regardless of what you do. Afterward, the movement gives you a weird feeling of relief. What in the world is this?

Or, you are in bed sleeping at night and you wake up when your legs jerk quickly. Startled, it takes you a few minutes to fall back asleep. What in the world was that?

Restless Leg Syndrome Explained

If these situations sound like something that has happened to you, you might be one of the millions of Americans who suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome. Restless leg syndrome, also referred to as RLS, or Wittmaack-Ekbom's syndrome, is an uncomfortable and widely misunderstood and misdiagnosed condition, thought to be caused by a neurological disorder.

Understanding what causes restless leg syndrome is a feat that doctors haven’t quite mastered yet. Reasons for what causes restless leg syndrome runs the gamut from dehydration, a brain disorder, some forms of medications, stimulants like caffeine or the consumption of some fats and carbohydrates.

Doctors consider there to be two types of Restless Leg Syndrome. Primary Restless Leg Syndrome comes from genetics and will generally last throughout your life. Secondary Restless Leg Syndrome comes from non-hereditary sources like medications and stimulants.

How to Treat Restless Leg Syndrome

Because the exact reasons for what causes Restless Leg Syndrome isn’t known for sure, the methods to treating the condition will vary from person-to-person.

If you think you have Secondary Restless Leg Syndrome resulting from some medication you are taking, ask your doctor if you can discontinue using the medication to see if it helps. If it decreases in frequency or disappears, you know your answer. Also, if it is caused by caffeine, you can stop using the stimulant to see if the conditions improve.

However, if you suffer from Primary Restless Syndrome because your family has a history of it, the best way to treat it is to stay away from the stimulants that aggravate it. The symptoms most likely won’t disappear, but you can continue to treat it with hot baths, massages and a regular exercise program.

Dealing with the Annoyances

Though you can deduct what causes Restless Leg Syndrome in your body, it does not mean that it will stop completely or that it will become less annoying as time goes on.

Fortunately, you are not alone. Because so many people deal with Restless Leg Syndrome, you do not have to be fearful of people’s reactions to it when it occurs in public. The discussion of the condition may help open doors to further exploration of what causes it.

Who knows, doctors may someday pinpoint the exact reasons to what causes Restless Leg Syndrome. Wouldn’t that be a joyous occasion?

To learn more about what causes Restless Leg Syndrome visit our website! We are the experts on sleep and give advice on a wide variety of sleep-related issues and provide information on sleep enhancing products like cpap heated humidifiers and important drug information like potential melatonin drug interaction

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Restless Leg Syndrome Natural Cures

I had heard about Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) through various news stories and through a co-worker that had it, but it didn’t get home until a close relative told me that he suffers from the disorder. Since there may be a genetic component, this made RLS more real to me. He had suffered with RLS for about 5 years before researching Restless Leg Syndrome natural cures which worked for him. Instead of taking medication, he used juicing and other natural remedies to help cure RLS.

Since more than 12 million Americans are reported to suffer from RLS, it is easy to see why the medical world is concentrating on finding a cure for RLS. Up until recently, there wasn’t even any medication on the market for RLS. However, even with the introduction of medications, many people still opt to research and use Restless Leg Syndrome natural cures. Some people just prefer natural remedies where as others are worried about the long term affects of the medication since they are relatively new. Restless Leg Syndrome natural cures include herbs, essential oils, supplements and vitamins. In addition, diet and lifestyle changes have also been linked to Restless Leg Syndrome natural cures. Yoga, massage, increasing calcium intake, juicing and increasing folate intake have all proven affective as Restless Leg Syndrome natural cures for thousands who suffer from it.

If you or someone you knows suffers from RLS, help them take back control of their life. Instead of starting with medications, learn about the Restless Leg Syndrome natural cures that are available. With all of the options available, you are likely to find one that works for you.

Learn how you can cure your Restless Leg Syndrome symptoms with a fast, all-natural treatment with a satisfaction guaranteed promise. To be on your way to a fast, all-natural treatment for Restless Leg Syndrome, visit http://www.stoprls.info.

Get your 100% satisfaction guaranteed, fast, all-natural treatment for Restless Leg Syndrome online now.

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Instant Relief From A Muscle Cramp

Waking up in the middle of the night with a muscle cramp in your calf is not fun. What can be worse is having a partner or spouse wake you up with a muscle cramp and not knowing what to do to help them. If you do the wrong thing, such as stretching the cramped muscle, you can hurt your partner.

There is a simple technique known to many massage therapists that will cause an immediate release of muscle cramps in a very safe way. It does this by tricking the body to release the cramp.

The way to release a cramp in the back of the calf is hold the top of your partners foot down, then have your partner try to raise their toes and the top of their foot against your resistance. The cramp should release within seconds. Then you can gently massage and stretch out the cramp. To see a video clip demonstrating this technique, please visit my website listed at the bottom of this article.

Having your partner try to raise the front of their foot will cause the muscles on the front of their calf to contract. When one muscle contracts, the opposing muscle is sent signals to relax. This happens so that we don't fight our own movements. The contraction of the muscles on the front of the calf will cause the muscles on the back of the calf to relax.

This technique can be used on any muscle in the body. You just have to have your partner try to stretch out the cramping muscle while you hold them to prevent the stretch from happening. For instance with a cramp in the bottom of the foot hold their toes down and have them try to raise their toes against resistance. If your partner has a low back spasm have them try to sit up while you hold their shoulders down.

This technique is only first aid for a muscle cramp, and does not address the cause. The cause for most muscle cramps is a deficiency of minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

The muscle cramps that happen in the middle of the night are typically caused by a deficiency of calcium and magnesium. Sources of calcium include dairy products, leafy green vegetables, seeds and nuts, and seaweeds. Sources of magnesium include seeds, nuts, leafy green vegetables, and my favorite, dark chocolate.

Potassium deficiencies can also cause muscle cramps. Potassium is lost with the body fluids such as with sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, and through the urine with diuretic drugs. Potassium deficiency cramps are more common after athletic events or after illness. Potassium can be restored with electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade, or with fruits (bananas, oranges), vegetables, soup broth, and juices.

When a small child or infant is having muscle cramps it can be a medical emergency. They have much smaller stores of potassium to begin with, and a deficiency will affect the skeletal muscles first before affecting the heart. Electrolyte drinks such as Pedialite can replenish the potassium.

With proper nutrition and the application of this technique muscle cramps should no longer be a problem.

The Healing Arts Institute, directed by Dr. James Mally, N.D., is one of the leading Sacramento massage schools. Initial training, continuing education massage classes and instructional training videos-DVDs such as the full body massage DVD are offered for sale.

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Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

Restless Legs Syndrome is an affliction that manifests itself as an uncomfortable feeling your legs.

Lying down and sitting has the tendency to aggravate these feelings. The only form of relief for the individual to relieve these uncomfortable feelings in their legs is by getting up and moving around. Most commonly these feelings occur during sleep and when they do; the person must wake up and move around. This is why this syndrome is categorized as a sleeping disorder – it is the constant disruption of sleep that the affected person must deal with.

A hard to describe uncomfortable feeling in the person’s legs (and even arms) is the most common symptom of restless leg syndrome. The feelings themselves are difficult to describe or to put into words… but suffers of RLS know these aren’t feelings of typical cramps or muscle soreness. Restless leg syndrome results in anything from a tingling to a burning type of sensation. These feelings are most prominent during the nighttime or periods of inactivity i.e. trying to sleep. The onset of restless leg syndrome can vary both in frequency and in intensity.

An off chute of RLS is involuntary leg flexing and extension; otherwise known as Periodic Limb Movements of Sleep (PLMS). The difference is that PLMS occurs during periods of sleep and most people who exhibit this aren’t aware that it is happening… except for anyone who may be in the same bed.

A bodily chemical called dopamine (which controls muscle movement) appears to be the common denominator with restless leg syndrome. The conventional thinking is that RLS may be somewhat hereditary since it occurs in families of 50% of those who suffer.

There are other contributing factors as well such as pregnancy and stress; as either of these can seem to aggravate the symptoms.

Restless leg syndrome can be difficult to diagnose for a number of reasons. First of all, the actual cause can be attributed to a number of reasons or circumstance. Secondly, the vast majority of sufferers don’t seek medical attention for their condition.

In order to accurately evaluate and diagnose, doctors need to ask a variety of questions including the type of pain, when the pain occurs, the frequency of the occurrences, and what seems to make the symptoms go away. Certainly a visit to a sleep clinic can go a long way toward the diagnosis because you can be monitored as you sleep.

Moving about is the preferred method by most people when it comes to seeking relief. Walking stretching and flexing exercises help when no other diagnosis has been arrived at. However, if it is determined that the cause is related to something such as an iron deficiency, treating that specific element can many time alleviate the symptoms and pain.

Many times simple lifestyle changes are prescribed to eliminate the symptoms of restless leg syndrome.

Occasionally RLS will be treated by stronger prescription type of medications but to date this type of treatment has had only mixed results.

Non-prescription treatments include over-the-counter pain relievers, hot or cool packs, massage, yoga, exercise and development of a sleep routine that encourages better sleep.

For more important information on sleeping be sure to visit http://www.sleep-good.com where you will helpful find advice and tips on sleep, sleep apnea, sleep insomnia and how you can start getting a good night's sleep.

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Muscle Cramps & Running Cramps – Is Stretching A Good Treatment?

Stretching is an ideal way to treat a cramp . . . BUT NOT ON ITS OWN.

If you try and stretch a cramp a soon as you get one you seriously risk damaging the muscle – and that means longer recovery times and weaker muscles that are more likely to fatigue and cramp in the future.

Basically, when a muscle goes into a cramp, it’s an all or nothing thing, which means that once the cramp has started, the muscle will continue with the contraction until it is finished. If you try and stretch it out while it is trying to contract you could very easily tear muscle fibres and set yourself up for more injury.

This is exactly what happened to me – I’d get a calf cramp while I was running, I’d stretch it out and limp home, rest up a few days and go out and do it all over again.

Once I figured out how to stop the cramping – and you’d be amazed how easy it really is – I discovered I had eliminated one problem and created a new one.

In my case it was calf strain and every time I tried to increase the pace beyond 60% I’d get a pain in the calf that force me to a walk.

And fixing the calf strain and getting the calf muscle back to 100% took longer to fix than the calf cramps.

If you suffer a calf cramp running, what you need to do first is help the muscle finish its contraction and re-establish the blood flow . . . and that means squeezing and pumping the muscle with your hands – in much the same way as you would squeeze a ball of dough.

This is actually quite painful!

Next, you start with the Gastrocnemius and Soleus stretches being very careful to avoid overstretching.

Of course, squeezing followed by stretching are good techniques to use once you suffer a leg or muscle cramp, however if you do suffer cramps regularly, if they affect your performance or if they wake you up at night, there are more permanent solutions you need to consider.

Copyright - www.Running-Cramp-Relief.com

Paul Newland is a health and nutrition consultant, trainer, martial arts instructor, commercial helicopter pilot and author. His Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide is the definitive guide to preventing, treating and curing cramps associated with exercise. In the Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide Newland speaks with 6 health, sports, nutrition, medical and complimentary health care professionals and explains why you get cramps, the best ways to treat them and how to prevent them from happening again.

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Stretching Techniques for Running Calf Cramps

If you’re a regular sufferer of running calf cramps then the first thing you need to know is that there are 2 muscle groups associated with the calves and they both need attention.

There are two muscle groups of the calves - the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus. And while most people, especially runners, are familiar with a ‘generalised’ calf stretch, you should be aware of the main difference in stretching technique to gain maximum benefit for each of the muscle groups.

The main difference we speak of is whether your knees are bent or straight.

Having the knees straight in any of the calf stretches allows you to stretch the Gastrocnemius muscles while applying the same stretch with your knees bent allows you to stretch the muscles of the Soleus.

Most people are pretty good at stretching their Gastrocnemius muscles but totally forget about the muscles of the Soleus.

The Gastrocnemius muscle stretch

To stretch the Gastrocnemius try and avoid a common method of standing on the curb and dropping your heels – this is too severe for a muscle to tolerate if it hasn’t lengthened sufficiently after any form of exercise.

Instead try this – keep your body upright, put one leg out in font of the other with the knee bent and the other leg back with the knee straight – it’s the same leg position as if you were leaning against a tree or post, except keep your body upright rather than leaning forward. For maximum stretch, keep the back foot flat on the ground.

Soleus muscle stretch

The same principles apply but it is important to bend the stretching leg at the knee.

This takes the Gastrocnemius muscle - which attaches above the knee - out of the stretch and concentrates the stretch on the Soleus.

Here’s another variation calf stretch. For this stretch you can use a door jam, a pole or fence, lamp post or railing: put your foot against the door frame/pole/fence, hold onto it with your hands and lean forward with your back straight.

If you’re wearing trainers, you’ll be able to put your foot against the door jam and get your heel as close as you can to the door and then bring yourself forward using your hands.

If you’re in bare feet or socks, you might not be able to get your heel against the door to start with but you can work towards it.

Copyright - www.Running-Cramp-Relief.com

Paul Newland is a health and nutrition consultant, trainer, martial arts instructor, commercial helicopter pilot and author. His Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide is the definitive guide to preventing, treating and curing cramps associated with exercise. In the Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide Newland speaks with 6 health, sports, nutrition, medical and complimentary health care professionals and explains why you get cramps, the best ways to treat them and how to prevent them from happening again.

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Lower Back Pain The Role Of Calf Muscles

Lower back pain causes calf muscle pain and tightness and the calf muscles play a huge role in the development and maintenance of lower back pain.These calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) are usually tight in most people especially in women wearing shoes with high heels. Calf muscle cramps are extremely painful and often awaken people during sleep. These cramps are a warning that there is nerve related muscle problems stemming from spinal nerve root involvement in the lower back. This is usually the case if you have calf muscle tightness and frequent night cramps even if you have no complaints of lower back pain or lower limb pain.

There are three calf muscles, two of them are called the gastrocnemius muscles (inner and outer muscles known respectively as medial and lateral) and the third is called the soleus muscle.

The gastrocnemius arise from the lower part of the thigh bone just above the knee. The soleus muscle arises from the leg bones known as the tibia and fibula bones and does not cross the knee joint. All three muscles insert into the heel bone through the heel cord. The tibial nerve supplies primarily S1 nerve root fibers to the inner gastrocnemius muscle (medial) and the L5 nerve root fibers to the outer gastrocnemius muscles (lateral) and primarily S1 nerve fibers to the soleus. The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles are responsible chiefly for bending the ankel and foot down so that the toes can point toward the ground. However when the foot is flat on the ground as in the sitting, crouching or squatting positions, the gastrocnemius muscles can bend the knee but not the soleus. Those who have tightness of the calf muscles will note that they are unable to place the heels flat on the floor.

During ambulation, people with tight calf muscles are unstable and prone to falls since there is difficulty with the heel striking the ground. They also have difficulty with the push-off phase of ambulation. The only muscle that is active during relaxed standing is the soleus muscle. It is responsible for stabilizing the leg so that the weight line can fall in front of the knee. Otherwise, the knee can buckle. Tight calf muscles play a significant role in causing and aggravating lower back pain due to increasing the stress on the low back muscles. Since these calf muscles are chronically tight, trying to reduce or release spasms within these muscles is very difficult. In addition, there is also nerve related muscle tightness and weakness in these muscles due to presence of aging of the L5 and S1 spinal nerve roots. To make the situation worse, the muscles that lift the foot and ankle up of the ground in the front of the leg are chronically weak. The weakness is primarily of nerve related origin since these muscles are supplied by the L5 nerve root which is the most commonly injured nerve root. The injury or irritation stems from presence of degenerative arthritis of the spine, slipped disc, bulging disc, etc. The L5 nerve root fibers are mainly carried through the peroneal nerve which also is vulnerable to trauma from habitual crossing of knees and/or ankles making the foot and ankle dorsiflexors even more weak.

Therefore to treat calf muscle tightness, muscles in the front of the leg called the dorsiflexor muscles of the foot and ankle have to be treated before treating the calf muscles. The dorsiflexor muscles of the foot and ankle are chronically subjected to lengthening contractions during ambulation. Therefore selective activation of these muscles by inducing shortening contractions is needed. Walking on the heels is one of the ways to induce shortening contractions of the foot and ankle dorsiflexors.

Optimal treatment for the tight calf muscles cannot be isolated to just treating the calf muscles symptomatically. The treatment must include treating the root cause of the tightness which is spinal nerve root problems primarily at the L5 and S1 levels.

All the related muscles that are continuously subjected to lengthening contractions need to be treated. Return of strength for these muscles is achieved through shortening contractions. Treatments must include treating the spinal extensor muscles, gluteus maximus, adductor magnus, tensor fascia lata, rectus femoris and the foot and ankle dorsiflexors. Selective activation for these muscles is most effective through motor point stimulation using the eToims Twitch Relief Method.

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Jennifer Chu, M.D. emeritus professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, pioneered eToims Twitch Relief Method that utilizes surface electrical stimulation to locate motor points (trigger points). The motor points are then stimulated to induce strong local muscle contractions, termed twitches. This results in reduced muscle pain and discomfort in the areas that were stimulated. The involved pain/discomfort-relieving mechanism is thought to include local muscle exercise and stretch effects. eToims Soft Tissue Comfort Center® specializes in diagnosis and treatment which ends muscle discomfort and pain.

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