Affecting about 10% of the population, restless leg syndrome is a really common condition that many people live with every day. This condition causes the person living with it to have the urge to constantly move their legs, and if they don’t they may feel tingling or even pain in sitting still.
This condition can realistically affect anyone at any age, however it is most commonly found in women who are around middle age or older. Additionally, the symptoms will often get worse as a person ages although certain lifestyle factors or environmental conditions can make them temporarily better or worse.
The exact cause of restless leg syndrome is still relatively unknown, however it is commonly believed that most cases are connected to a type of nervous system dysfunction.
For this reason, it is strongly believed that regular chiropractic care can go a long way in helping with the symptoms of restless leg .
How Does Chiropractic Care Help With Restless Leg Syndrome?
To begin with, it’s important to know that it’s believed when a person is experiencing the unpleasant sensations associated with this condition it is because the brain is receiving mixed or false signals from the associated nerves.
One of the parts of chiropractic care is to help restore proper nerve function within different areas of the body. This restoration can help provide some much needed relief that someone needs.
The legs have their nerves supplied from the spine, so these adjustments can help to relieve any pressure or irritation that is currently being applied to the nerves.
Many patients who have restless leg syndrome report that receiving regular chiropractic care gives them a lot of relief that other treatments have not been able to do.
Chiropractic Care And Better Sleep
In addition to providing relief from irritated nerves, a chiropractor can help improve your sleep.
Many individuals with this condition will confirm that the symptoms are the worst at night, when they’re trying to fall asleep.
So getting restful sleep can become a big challenge for anyone who has restless leg syndrome.
Your chiropractor may be able to may recommendations as to how to improve your sleep. They may talk about different routines or assistive devices that can help relieve the symptoms when they are at their worst and ensure you can get some quality sleep.
How Often Should You Receive Chiropractic Adjustments?
If you have restless leg syndrome and you have found that seeing a chiropractor works for you, the next question you have will probably be how often you should receive these treatments.
Seeing a chiropractor can help get you relief from the symptoms of restless leg syndrome, and it can also help you in your daily activities and feeling better overall.
The one thing all chiropractors know is that every patient is different, and their treatment needs will also be different.
Patients that are seeking chiropractic care as part of a preventative, balance lifestyle may need to see a chiropractor more infrequently than someone who has been experiencing serious pain for a prolonged amount of time.
Depending on what you’re currently experience, your treatment plan may include 2 or 3 appointments a week and then gradually decrease until you’re seeing your chiropractor once a week or every other week.
In the initial appointment or consultation, your chiropractor will do a complete assessment to ensure they understand exactly what your needs are and where you’re at now – so you can get some immediate relief.
Additionally, everyone responds differently to chiropractic care. A treatment may work really well for one patient but another patient may not respond very well or get much relief from the same treatment.
It’s important that you, as a patient, are not afraid to speak up about what is working for you and what isn’t. if you feel as though you need more or less in terms of adjustments then talk to your chiropractor and let them know what you’re thinking.
Beyond Chiropractic Care
In your first visit to a chiropractor, they might ask you about other aspects of your life: diet, exercise, lifestyle choices and so on.
While the initial goal will be to ensure you are pain free and you can get some immediate relief from your symptoms, overtime the chiropractor is going to want to make sure you have a wholistic health plan.
Your chiropractor may give you other treatment recommendations to go together with the chiropractic care you’re receiving.
For example, some nutritional counselling or dietary changes may be recommended to help ease the symptoms of restless leg syndrome for you.
Any recommendations they make is to help with your symptoms and improve your quality of life. So even if you don’t think you’re going to like these changes, perhaps just listen and give it a try to see if you experience any relief in your symptoms.
Working on a wholistic treatment plan can also help to boost the efficacy of each individual treatment overall. So if you’re finding that your chiropractic treatments give you relief for a few days from your symptoms, then exploring other options in conjunction with chiropractic care may help to extend the length of time you are without symptoms.
Your chiropractor may also recommend massage therapy as a complimentary treatment to adjustments. Another option that goes really well with this type of care is heat therapy to help the muscles relax and therefore ease up on the symptoms experienced.
There may also be different exercises you can do at home, between adjustments, that will help with the treatment when you do go to visit your chiropractor.
Exercising can make a big difference in the symptoms experienced for someone who has restless leg syndrome so if your chiropractor believes that moving more will help, this could be part of your treatment plan.
Your chiropractor may suggest exercises that are closer to what you’d experience in physical therapy or they may suggest to go for a walk for at least half an hour every day. The recommendations will change depending on your unique situation and what you’re symptoms are like.
How Do You Find The Right Chiropractor For You?
There may be some chiropractors in your city that have experience specifically in restless leg syndrome, but sometimes they don’t advertise that.
If you know other people with restless leg syndrome, the best thing you can do is ask around for recommendations and referrals.
Also, don’t be afraid to meet with a couple different chiropractors to determine if they are the right fit for you.
If you don’t feel comfortable with one of them or don’t feel as though they can really help with the condition you have, it’s ok to walk away and let them know that you don’t think it will work out.
This condition can be really painful to live with, and it can really disrupt your life. For that reason you want to make sure any medical professional who is going to help you has knowledge of the condition you have and what will be best to help you.
Paying For The Chiropractor
When you meet with a chiropractor, they will give you a complete assessment to determine where you need an adjustment and what the best course of treatment might be for you.
Of course it makes sense that you will want to know what this kind of treatment is going to cost you.
The good news is that most extended or private benefits have some kind of chiropractic (and even massage) coverage. Depending on your insurance, you may need a referral from your primary doctor before you start seeking treatment from a chiropractor.
If you don’t have any coverage, let the chiropractor know that. Some clinics will offer sliding scale rates for people who don’t have coverage to ensure they can get the care they need without stretching their financial boundaries too far.
Don’t be afraid to ask what their fee schedule is ahead of receiving any treatment so that you know what to expect, and you can ensure it’s feasible for you.
Final Thoughts
While there is still a lot that isn’t known about restless leg syndrome, what medical professionals do know is that it’s a very complicated condition.
The treatment plans and options are vast, and there is almost an unlimited number of combinations of treatments that might work for a patient.
What is important to remember is that, for any treatment, it will take at least a couple treatments or sessions to see a difference in the symptoms you’re experiencing.
There have been many patients who experience positive results from chiropractic care, and even say their symptoms have lessened with regular adjustments and treatment.
If you’re living with restless leg syndrome, your symptoms are likely going to get worse over time. If you’re having a hard time sleeping now, don’t leave your symptoms untreated. A good night’s sleep goes a long way into minimizing the pain and discomfort you’re feeling.
While chiropractic care may not be the exact right treatment for your restless leg syndrome, this condition is one where patients may need to do some trial and error in terms of finding what works for them.
