My Itchy Legs Keeps Me Awake At Night?

Question:

For some months, at night, I have had the feeling of something crawling under the skin of my right leg, from the knee to the top of my thigh. It gets so bad that the itchiness turns to pins and needles and invariably keeps me awake. Could you tell me what the problem is and what can be done about it, please?

Answer:

There is a small chance that you could be suffering from a neurological condition, so I do suggest that you tell your doctor about the pins and needles and, if necessary, you will then be referred for the appropriate tests. However, considering your description, there is one condition that comes to my mind straight away. To explain, I must give you the history of a gentleman who had similar problems. This was a French business man who had been advised to have surgery on his back because he had a slight protrusion of a lower lumbar disc. His doctors in France had pinpointed this as the cause of the symptoms that disturbed his sleep and prevented him playing golf, his favourite pastime. The symptoms were exactly the same as yours - the feeling of insects crawling under his skin plus pins and needles, located in his thigh, from the hip to the top of the knee. According to his doctors, these symptoms were signs of sciatica. Since he had been in discomfort, for months and physiotherapy produced no good result, surgery was the only option.

The date for his operation was fixed when his boss (a patient of mine) asked him to come to see me for a second opinion. Although he was reluctant to cancel the surgery and consider another diagnosis, I was able to convince him that the diagnosis was wrong and that surgery would not solve his problem. Even if the bulge on that particular lumbar disc (between L4 and L5) scratched the nerve root, the sensation or pain would not be felt above the knee; it would go down the side of the calf to the ankle. Where he experienced the sensation in the thigh comes from upper lumbar vertebrae (Ll, L2 and L3). Operating on a lower lumbar disc simply would not affect the pain.

I asked him how much water. coffee and alcohol he drank and how much salt he consumed. He drank hardly any water but several cups of coffee daily and wine regularly; he also liked salt. I explained that these dietary habits could lead to dehydration and soreness in the kidney (upper lumbar) area. The kidneys are actually embedded in the lumbar muscles, so whenever there is a problem with them, the lumbar muscles get sore and very tight. This can irritate the nerve roots in that area and cause this type of symptom. Sometimes it even results in lumbago or lower backache, as lumbar muscles are attached to the lower part of the spine - the sacrum. His skepticism evaporated as he realised the logic of what I was saying.

When I examined his back and touched the lumbar area, he felt the pain immediately. I massaged the whole of the spine, focusing on the lumbar region. When he got up from the couch, the sensations in his thigh were gone. He touched the areas that had bothered him and they were no longer sensitive. He came to my clinic weekly for about a month for massage and yoga. Almost three years on, the symptoms have never returned. The message is that one must always investigate such symptoms and, if possible, give nature a chance to heal the body before rushing to drastic measures. I have detailed similar cases involving unusual back and neurological problems in my Ultimate Back Book.

Here are my recommendations

* Once a week for four weeks visit a qualified practitioner for a professional massage, focusing on the back You could also ask a friend or partner to massage your back following the instructions given on my lifestyle DVD (Integrated Health Group).

* Take up therapeutic iyengar yoga, and particularly do the following postures daily: cobra, semi bridge, child pose and spinal twist.

* Avoid coffee, alcohol, excess salt, citrus fruits, canned products and processed foods.

* Drink two litres of still water daily between meals.

Supplements

* If the inflammation or sensation is severe, you could take Haldi: one twice daily for a month.

* To help you sleep, take Brento: one at bedtime for a month.

source http://goo.gl/C5Np

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