A young woman in her thirties found my Neuromuscular Therapy center Southwest of Boston on the internet, desperate to find a treatment for the wide-ranging RLS pains and other symptoms that had disrupted her life. Over the previous seven years Krystal had been to doctors who had variously tested for Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia and Restless Leg Syndrome. Finding no definitive proof of any disease, she had been sent away with prescriptions for pills none of which had helped and some of which had made her symptoms worse. After ten years, she was addicted to her nightly pain pills.

Her Restless Leg Syndrome was very disturbing, interrupting her sleep and affecting her in the workplace. Icing helped her get to sleep but at work she had trouble finding ways to relieve the sensations that occurred from sitting too long.

The symptoms she reported were classic: sensory disturbances (parasthesias), mostly in the back of her legs, (vibrations, crawling, pulsating and buzzing) along with twitching and tremors, sensations moving in waves, numbness, severe and constant pins and needles, nocturnal muscle spasms and jerks. She also reported tripping and stumbling which gave me a clue to a possible cause. A quick postural check revealed a tilted pelvis and mild scoliosis.

Health-wise, she resisted suggestions of drinking water, adjusting her junk food diet, doing some exercise, and adding supplements that would help reduce hyperactivity and give her the nutrients necessary for proper functioning of her nerves and muscles.

So, what happened with Krystal, and how do I think about RLS? Read the NMT point-of-view and treatment entries that follow.