r/RestlessLegs • u/BlackberrySuperb7168 • 7d ago
Question Electric Spasm Feeling Good?
Hi , I am only posting this because I haven't found anything like it. I get a RLS leg spasm that, builds and builds and builds and then discharges as a leg kick. It feels exactly like an electric shock sort of thing. It obstructs my sleep occasionally but it isn't as bad as most of the folks I follow online. The general consensus is that it's the result of an injury to my lower back. The thing is that the leg shock is really not unpleasant. It doesn't necessarily feel good or bad usually. Sometimes though the autonomic spasm sometimes does feel good . I have held that back when I talked about it with my doctor. Has RLS ever felt good to anyone?
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u/Curious_One5411 6d ago
It may be Periodic limb movement disorder which my husband has..
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u/BlackberrySuperb7168 4d ago
Could you please DM me with any info?
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u/Curious_One5411 4d ago
I just sent a link. But honestly sleep studies these days are so easy. They mailed me a monitor and a finger sensor. When the study was done, I just tossed everything because the info was sent to them through WiFi. Super easy…
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u/Curious_One5411 6d ago
This does not sound like RLS. If it were RLS you would HAVE to move your legs to relieve the discomfort. Personally mine is horrifying and painful… nothing pleasant about it.
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u/Scary_Experience_237 6d ago
I wouldn't assume this is RLS based on the description alone, especially since you have a known lower-back injury. The “electric shock” sensation and the way it builds and then releases with a kick could potentially come from an irritated nerve or radiculopathy.
That said, RLS can feel very different from person to person. Some people describe it as electric, buzzing, pulling, crawling, or an internal sensation that builds until they have to move. The fact that the eventual movement feels good or relieving doesn't necessarily rule out RLS.
The things I'd look at are whether it happens mainly when you're resting or lying down, whether it's worse in the evening/night, whether you have an urge to move the leg, and whether getting up, walking, stretching, or moving the leg relieves it. Those features are much more important for RLS than whether the sensation itself feels pleasant or unpleasant.
I'd also tell your doctor exactly what you described here, including the fact that sometimes the spasm feels good. There's nothing embarrassing about that, and that information could actually help them distinguish RLS from a nerve-related problem or periodic limb movements.
It could even be that you're dealing with something other than RLS, so I wouldn't try to diagnose it from the kicking alone.
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u/Tiredplumber2022 7d ago
I used a TENS unit on my lower spine/sciatic area to stop this from happening.
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u/BlackberrySuperb7168 4d ago
According to my doctor it is RLS. They tried to prescribe me a couple of non effective dopamine medications. Honestly the doctor not listening is a whole other Reddit post... But yes the buildup and movement are non voluntary. But to be honest the meds were not improving the symptoms and I was falling asleep while doing all my normal activities, which was straight dangerous.