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mikescott_98
USA
49 Posts |
 Posted - 04/16/2007 : 07:27:15
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| I saw a commercial for what will be the next TMS manifestation to make the drug and medical community rich. Restless Leg Syndrome. How long do you think it will be before it will be as common a diagnosis as Carpel Tunnel and Acid reflux? |
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2007 : 08:05:07
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In fact, Restless Leg Syndrome affects an estimated 2.7% of the general population in the U.S.A. so that is already an epidemic in my books. Consider that the population of America is 301,623,738 and divide 2.7 into that and you will get an idea of the numbers we are talking about. In fact, 2.7 percent of 301 623 746 = 8, 143 841.14!!!!! Just type in Restless Leg Syndrome and hundreds of websites will pop up.
(source of above statistic: ^ Allen R, Walters A, Montplaisir J, Hening W, Myers A, Bell T, Ferini-Strambi L (2005). "Restless legs syndrome prevalence and impact: REST general population study". Arch. Intern. Med. 165 (11): 1286-92. PMID 15956009.)
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Sarno-ize it!
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Edited by - shawnsmith on 04/16/2007 08:21:32 |
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Shary
147 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2007 : 08:34:20
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| I had RLS pretty bad for a while, a number of years ago. It strikes at night or late in the evening and is very annoying. I went to a physical therapist specializing in Integrative Manual Therapy--which does work for a lot of things--and he got rid of it. It started coming back a year or so ago, but since I've been working on ridding myself of all emotional baggage, it has mostly disappeared again. There's no doubt in my mind that RLS is just another one of TMS's many manifestations. I have an elderly aunt with RLS, but she's of the generation that would rather pop a pill than look for a reason, so I just keep my mouth shut. |
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sonora sky
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2007 : 10:00:34
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My husband totally has this. His mom has it too, so he claims that it "runs in the family."  For years, they've called it "jerky legs." It's really irritating (for him and for me), as he often has trouble sitting still (due to the involuntary muscle contractions) in the evening when we're trying to relax. He's resistant to the idea that it's a mindbody phenomenon; he readily believes I have TMS, but not him. When it's really bad, I'll offer him a calf massage, and that seems to help enough for him to fall asleep soundly. Sometimes I try to get him to talk about things that may be bothering him, and that seems to help, too (even though he doesn't believe he has TMS!). Luckily he's against taking prescription drugs (there's at least one specifically prescribed for RLS), so we don't have to go down that route. Mostly, I think he just sees it as an annoyance.
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2007 : 10:11:17
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Probably your husband sees those with TMS has possessing some kind of psychological weakness or deficiency and thus his reluctance to admit he has TMS. Many men desire to be seen as strong and his acknowledgment of your TMS while not owning up to his own is a way of telling himself that he is stronger than you are.....
The medical establishment does claim that indeed the condition of RLS is often hereditary, but as with many other things the medical establishment tells us they are groping in the dark for explanations.
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Sarno-ize it!
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sonora sky
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2007 : 12:36:36
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Yeah, typically speaking, I'd agree with you, shawnsmith (re: men admitting TMS b/c it is a sign of weakness). But this explanation is tough for me to believe in terms of my husband, specifically. He has very few macho/male characteristics, behaviors, beliefs, hobbies, etc. (In fact, I can't think of any at the moment.) He's super sensitive/emotional (and in a creative/artistic profession) and not afraid to show it to people who are close to him. We're both very sensitive in that way, but when it comes to managing things, I tend to take charge. He does squish bugs or take them outside (both reluctantly) when I ask.
I can possibly see his desire to be "the rock" during a period when I'm clearly going through lots of Stuff. He wants to be there for me when I need it.
I'm not sure what it is. He's read Sarno's books and totally 'gets it.' But, I think, like most people, we don't want to face our fears, we don't want to dig deep inside ourselves because we're afraid of what we'll find. TMS, to a lot of people, is not an appealing concept because it involves time, hard work, and some unpleasantness along the way. Who wants this when you've already been suffering so long?? (Playing devil's advocate here... )
But I think avoidance may be the biggest thing. He ignores physcial issues (seeing the dentist regularly, seeing the doctor for routine checkups and times when it's clear you should see an MD about certain symptoms, etc.) to the best of his abilities, hoping, I think that if he ignores something it will just go away. I have to cajole, poke, and prod him into taking care of himself in this way. I guess everyone has "the thing" that they will avoid/procrastinate on the most.
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skizzik
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2007 : 17:44:07
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| does restless leg syndrome include leg shaking? Like both my legs are pumping a mile a minute right now as I'm sittin here, and I attribute it to nervousness. Or is it just the term given to legs that jump during sleep? |
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Shary
147 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2007 : 18:23:48
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I think it can take different forms. I've never had my legs shake but when I was having a lot of trouble with RLs, I would get a crawly sensation from the knees down. It feels like insects crawling around just under the skin. Other times I wouldn't be able to sit or lie still because the urge to move my legs would be so overpowering that I'd be wiggling around half the night. This might be the pumping motion that was referred to.
Something that can help is to brush your legs with a soft surgeon's brush or a baby's brush. This won't work overnight so you have to do it every day for a while to notice results. Brush up and down and in a circular motion for a minute or two. I have several very soft brushes and do this when I need to. I think it calms the RLS by distracting the nerves. |
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The Next TMS Epidemic
