This RLS acupuncture case study involves a 65-year-old man who had been struggling with restless leg syndrome for years. He came to his first treatment armed with a research study he had found on the internet detailing how acupuncture had helped relieve RLS symptoms. As this post will describe, acupuncture has been able to ease his RLS significantly.
RLS – A Disabling Condition
Restless leg syndrome, for this patient, as for many others, causes severe feelings of leg restlessness in the evenings. Typically by 8:00 p.m. his legs would feel agitated and “restless”. Walking around helped to ease the sensation. But as soon as he lay down to sleep, the feeling became stronger, making sleep impossible.
Over the years, our patient had relied on prescription medications to cope with his RLS, with limited success. He used tramadol to reduce the severity of leg sensations, and sleep medications to help him fall and stay asleep. In addition, he wrapped his legs in ace bandages. Putting pressure on his legs helped ease the discomfort. Even with all of this intervention, he still only got about three to four hours of sleep a night.
The Acupuncture Solution for RLS
Our patient in this RLS acupuncture case study had come across a research study from Iran outlining a combination of acupuncture points that got good results in reducing the debilitating symptoms of restless leg syndrome. He asked if we would be open to trying the protocol described in the study. After reading the report we agreed to give it a try.
From the very start we noticed that certain acupuncture points used in the study produced good results, while others seemed less helpful. As is the case with most acupuncture, it is specific to the patient. In other words, acupuncture treatments work best when they are customized to the individual patient and their particular needs.
This concept, called pattern diagnosis, is applied by learning about the patient’s specific imbalances, and then selecting acupuncture points to correct those imbalances. We elicit this information by asking questions about the patient’s health (sleep, emotions, digestion, respiration, etc) and by feeling the pulse and examining the tongue. The acupuncture points that worked for our patient in this RLS acupuncture case study lined up with his overall pattern diagnosis, and we continued to use them.
In addition, we added other groups of points (some local to the areas of discomfort and some distal), all the while monitoring his progress. Over the course of three months we came up with a treatment protocol that had effectively reduced his RLS symptoms by 50%. Our patient was very pleased with this progress.
RLS Acupuncture Case Study
There is no current cure for RLS. Acupuncture has been able to provide significant relief for our patient. And he has continued to explore other therapies to add to his toolbox of treatment. He now gets more and better quality sleep at night and is able to reduce the amount of prescription medications he takes.
If you struggle with RLS, try acupuncture. Give the treatment a few months. You need to try different point combinations to see what will work best for you. Our successful treatment protocol in this RLS acupuncture case study did not manifest instantly on the first try. We started with a solid research study, and then modified the plan based on how our patient responded.
When it comes to treating complex conditions like RLS, acupuncture functions as both an art and a medicine, a health program designed and implemented to fit the specific needs of an individual. Sometimes one solution fits many problems. Other times a solution needs to be custom made. RLS seems to be one such condition. Luckily, acupuncture is up to the task.
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Restless Leg Syndrome Relief
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What our Clients are Saying
Mark Molinoff customized a treatment for my Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) that has proven to be effective in substantially reducing the severity and scope of my RLS symptoms. Mark is the 3rd acupuncturist that has treated me, but the first to get positive results. Highly recommend!
Thank you Raleigh Acupuncture! My restless leg syndrome is gone. I can sleep at night and my legs don’t ache. I am so grateful to you. I will send all my friends to you!!
I’ve lived with RLS for the past 20 years. When a buddy of mine got relief from acupuncture I gave it a try. Raleigh Acupuncture Associates eased my symptoms 90%. It’s a shadow of what it used to be. I recommend this acupuncture practice if you’ve got restless leg syndrome.
