Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move. While RLS may be serious medical disorder, it can be managed effectively with lifestyle modifications.
Your doctor will diagnose Restless Leg Syndrome based on your symptoms and medical history, and may order sleep studies or blood tests to screen for iron deficiency or kidney failure.
Increased Circulation
RLS sufferers typically experience discomforting sensations in their legs when sitting or lying down, including tingling, crawling or creeping sensations that make it hard to remain still and create an irresistible urge to move around. At nighttime these sensations intensify even further resulting in sleep disruption as well as interfering with daily tasks, changing mood and fatigue.
No cure exists for this condition, yet symptoms can be alleviated with regular physical exercise and eating well. There are medications available, though their side effects may cause concern. Vibration therapy has proven successful at alleviating symptoms by improving circulation, strengthening muscles and soothing nerves.
Studies show that vibrations produced by vibrating plates stimulate muscle spindles, sensory receptors in your leg muscles that communicate with your brain, to send movement signals back down your legs causing them to shake or kick in response. Unfortunately for people suffering from RLS these signals don’t reach their brains and therefore the legs become restless and painful – these micro-vibrations send this information via large nerve fibers more effective at blocking pain than small nerve fibers that carry signals directly through their skin.
Studies demonstrate that whole-body vibration therapy increases skin blood flow (SBF), providing oxygen to muscles and nerves. Oxygen deficiency is one of the primary causes of RLS; when your legs don’t receive enough oxygen they experience uncomfortable sensations that prompt you to move them more frequently.
RLS causes uncomfortable sensations to increase when sitting or lying down, making it more difficult to fall asleep easily and leading to insomnia and daytime fatigue that impedes productivity at work or school. This vicious cycle may eventually cause reduced performance at both.
Although there is no one-size-fits-all treatment option for restless leg syndrome (RLS), healthcare organizations generally suggest limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption, avoiding extreme temperatures (heat or cold), using hot or cold packs on legs before bed, exercising regularly, as well as receiving acupuncture and massage therapies to ease RLS symptoms. If symptoms persist beyond these measures, varicose vein surgery may also help; however this procedure should not be performed if chronic heart disease or diabetes exists.
Activated Nerves
Vibration-activated muscles send signals to the brain that reduce RLS symptoms. Melzack and Wall proposed the “gate-control theory” in 1965:36 Information traveling along large diameter nerves from legs to brain is intercepted at the substantia gelatinosa and blocked by inhibitory neurons to decrease or prevent pain, itching, tingling or any other unpleasant feelings that are transmitted along C fibers from legs. If vibration stimulates leg muscles, these counterstimulation nerves signal to C-fibers that they should ignore inhibitory neurons as the stimulus is OK; as such, any unpleasant sensations associated with vibration stimulation are seen as somatic hallucinations originating in the brain and projected out onto legs or arms.
Restless leg syndrome has many unknown causes; however, experts speculate it could stem from low iron levels or imbalances in certain brain chemicals like GABA. Furthermore, restless leg syndrome could also be triggered by family history as well as certain health conditions like diabetes, kidney disease or chronic pain.
RLS symptoms can impact anyone of any age and gender, with middle adulthood being most affected. Attacks typically appear in the late afternoon or evening and become most intense at nighttime, disrupting sleep and creating significant functional impairment. RLS sufferers typically feel irresistible urges to move their legs in an attempt to relieve crawling, tugging, painful, or tingling sensations in their lower extremities; although this temporary relief provided by leg movements disappears as soon as the movement ceases.
Cedars-Sinai physicians specialize in treating movement disorders and sleep issues, including RLS. They can assess any underlying causes for your RLS symptoms and devise a treatment plan specifically to address them.
Researchers conducted a clinical trial and discovered vibration therapy significantly reduced symptoms for people suffering from moderate-to-severe RLS. Participants used a device which provided stimulation of peroneal nerves of their lower leg – nerves which run down from behind the knee to where they split in two – for stimulation compared with a sham device, increasing muscle activity without disrupting self-reported sleep onset or disrupting self-reported sleep onset; furthermore, NPNS-evoked leg muscle activation was sustained and predicted efficacy;
Relaxed Muscles
RLS can lead to sleep deprivation and cause numerous health problems. Furthermore, its discomfort for sufferers ranges from tingling sensations to pain or even jerking sensations; typically occurring late afternoon/evening and making sleeping difficult; left untreated this could also reduce work productivity and performance during the day.
Experts speculate that restless leg syndrome’s root cause lies in low dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine acts as a neurotransmitter between your mind and muscles, so when its levels fall too low it may cause unwanted side effects including restless leg syndrome. Furthermore, restless leg syndrome often runs in families which suggests there could be genetic links. Other possible contributors include heavy caffeine consumption as well as medications commonly used to treat epilepsy or depression that contribute.
Well, the good news is that there are ways to manage RLS symptoms effectively – and one of the most successful approaches is whole body vibration (WBV). Studies have demonstrated how short sessions on a vibration plate can increase blood flow and activate nerves for greater relaxation of muscles resulting in less severe RLS symptoms.
Asides from WBV, other treatments exist for those living with RLS. Hot or cold therapy is frequently recommended by healthcare organizations and may provide some relief; similarily, caffeine avoidance and exercise are beneficial measures. Furthermore, individuals with low iron levels may benefit from taking supplements; injections of iron may even prove effective.
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) can make sleep difficult at night and interfere with daytime performance, leaving you fatigued and lacking focus throughout the day. If this sounds familiar to you, contact Gwinnett Sleep today and set up an appointment with one of our sleep specialists; together we’ll identify the source of your sleep disturbance before creating an individual plan to address it – be it simple changes or advanced therapies such as restless leg syndrome vibration treatment.
Reduced Symptoms
Vibration plates offer many positive health benefits to those suffering from RLS or Willis-Ekbom Disease, including increased circulation, activated nerves and relaxed muscles that help alleviate symptoms. But their greatest advantage may lie in improving sleep – something many struggle with daily as a result of RLS/Willis-Ekbom Disease can make worse than restful nights sleep could make a substantial difference in how you feel each day and performance in daily activities.
An irresistible urge to move your legs is one of the hallmarks of this neurological disorder, which affects both men and women. It typically begins with uncomfortable sensations like aching or pulling before being relieved by movement; its symptoms generally occur most at night during periods of rest or inactivity; furthermore, discomfort caused by this can interfere with sleep and lead to chronic fatigue that impacts daily tasks.
No exact cause of this condition has yet been identified, though poor circulation and nerve damage have been implicated as factors. Furthermore, imbalanced dopamine levels could play a part in its cause as dopamine is used by muscles to move. Other potential contributors could include genetics, diabetes, sleep apnea or iron deficiency.
Exercise and avoiding caffeine are both proven ways to combat RLS symptoms, with regular exercisers being three times less likely to experience it than non-exercisers. But make sure not to overdo it or exercise late at night as this could make symptoms even worse.
Use of pneumatic compression devices such as leg sleeves that inflate and deflate can also help improve circulation and relieve RLS symptoms. Vibrating pads or foot wraps specifically tailored to alleviate RLS may also provide relief.
Studies have demonstrated the benefits of whole body vibration (WBV), such as increasing blood flow and stimulating nerves in legs and feet to alleviate RLS symptoms. Our PrecisionWave Technology utilizes tri-planar vibrations per second to deliver tri-planar vibrations directly to our bodies’ natural ability for relaxation, circulation and activating nervous systems.
