Healing Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): An Absolute Cure

picture of sacrifices needed to be cured of restless legs syndrome

I used to call this page "An Absolute CURE for RLS."

I called it an "ABSOLUTE" cure, because it was, and still is.

However, I took an incredible amount of flack for using the term "cure." Someone even contacted the FDA on me. So, now I'm calling it a REMEDY.

Who really cares what I call it. The bottom line is it's going to help you.

If you find out what is causing the inflammation in your body and begin to replace that with healthier options, your RLS symptoms will lessen. This is guaranteed.

If you are able to eliminate the main culprits of your chronic inflammation (whether it be stress, diet, poor digestion, environment, food intolerance etc.) by religiously following an anti-inflammatory regime, your legs will deeply calm.

Once that occurs, then by definition (according to four of the world's most popular dictionaries) that indicates that you have found a "cure" for your RLS.

Oxford Dictionary
"Relieve a person or animal of the symptoms of a disease or condition."

Merriam-Webster Dictionary
"Something that stops a disease and makes someone healthy again."

Cambridge Dictionary
"To make someone healthy again, or to cause an illness to go away."

Scrabble Dictionary
"Restore to health."

At some point in time the Medical Community hijacked the word "cure" and made it their own. In their minds the only TRUE cure is one that eliminates a condition or disease through DRUGS.

This rigid interpretation of the word is not accurate. As the definitions above state, ANY way that you are able to eliminate your condition, is considered a cure.

It's kind of ironic when you think about it. When is the last time you heard about a new drug on the market that actually cured something?

It will take some experimentation on your part to find out what is causing your inflammation (other than the obvious triggers). Once you are able to determine this, you are on the road to true recovery.

Someday the evidence will be so overwhelming that RLS and inflammation are linked together that it will become common knowledge.

A good sign is that researchers are now discovering that inflammation is deeply involved with so many other diseases.

sub header listing the benefits of emotional freedom technique

Here is a letter from Dr. Brent Bauer of the Mayo Clinic that gives an overview of the exciting new breakthroughs researchers are finding in regard to the links between inflammation and common diseases such as cancer.

"BUZZED ON INFLAMMATION" by Brent Bauer, M.D.
General Internal Medicine, Editorial Board member of Mayo Clinic Health Letter

Inflammation is the new medical buzzword. It seems as though everyone is talking about it, especially the fact that inflammation appears to play a role in many chronic diseases. The July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter highlights inflammation's role in cardiovascular disease.

Just what does all this mean for you? Can you actually do something to reduce your risk of chronic inflammation that may play a part in disease? That depends. At present, it's still too early in the science to reasonably conclude that reducing inflammation leads to a reduction in cancer risk. Many of the questions concerning cause and effect with cancer have yet to be proven.

What you can do, though, is make a point to avoid certain things that cause inflammation and are proven unhealthy. Prime examples are smoking and excessive alcohol use.

Some people advocate an "anti-inflammatory diet." Although there's less evidence such diets work to directly thwart inflammation, most of the recommended foods are typical of the Mediterranean style of eating and in principle are good choices. Key components of the Mediterranean diet include:

Eating generous amounts of fruits and vegetables
Consuming healthy fats, such as olive oil and canola oil
Eating small portions of nuts
For some, drinking red wine in moderation
Eating fish on a regular basis
Consuming very little red meat

You may wonder if nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen - would be helpful, as the drug class name would seem to imply. Research is underway into NSAID use as a possible new strategy for potentially treating or preventing cancer. The prospects are intriguing, but the data isn't solid. If you take aspirin or another NSAID under a doctor's direction for a health-related concern such as preventing heart attack or relieving chronic pain, that's an accepted and appropriate use for this class of drugs. As always, the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding have to be considered with regular NSAID use.

And then there's the huge area of dietary supplements, which is largely uncharted when it comes to carefully done clinical trials for safety and effectiveness. Unlike prescription drugs, dietary supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness. With that caveat, here are some that may be of interest:

Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) - Limited studies indicate modest benefits for easing rheumatoid arthritis joint pain and osteoarthritis knee pain during activity, but more studies are needed before its use can be recommended.

Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) - Studies suggest devil's claw is effective in the short-term treatment of osteoarthritic pain. It's used extensively in Europe as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) - It's credited with anti-allergy, antibacterial, antifungal, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory qualities, and even as a possible cancer treatment. But high-quality human trials are still lacking that support its effectiveness or safety.

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) - Milk thistle appears to protect the liver and block or remove harmful substances from the organ. Although more study is needed, it appears to improve organ function in people with cirrhosis, a chronic liver disease. It may also be helpful in treating chronic hepatitis. More research is needed before any specific recommendations for its use can be made.

My best advice concerning chronic inflammation is to stay tuned. This is a huge area of interest in the medical world and there are bound to be discoveries down the road that can improve well-being and the quality of health.

The problem is that there is no SET way to relieve the inflammation that is causing your discomfort. You can deal with the bulk of the inflammation by taking the recommended supplements and avoiding the obvious harmful foods. The difficulty is finding out which additional foods are harmful to your unique system.

The plan that I've laid out should take care of 80% to 90% of your problem. After that it becomes a very personalized program, as each person has to find out how to deal with the remaining 10-20%.

For some people the remaining irritation may be caused by tomatoes, for others it may be bananas, for many, it may be the medication you're on. It could also be an environmental issue, such as the presence of mold. It could be stress-related inflammation. Each individual is slightly different when it comes to what our body reacts to.

Finding out what is prolonging your RLS and is inducing an inflammatory reaction within your body is all part of the great experiment that you must be a part of.

I believe that everyone, regardless of how intense their RLS is, has the potential to become totally free of their Restless Legs Syndrome, without the use of pharmaceuticals.

The formula for success is simple and undeniable. Some day (many years from now) researchers in the scientific community will have to admit that this formula holds true. It will become too obvious to deny.

Less Inflammation = Less RLS

By following this formula, there is a unique, but absolute solution for every individual.

It comes down to you asking yourself "What am I willing to give up to rid my body of its inflammation ... and what supplements am I willing to try in order to help the healing along?"