Restless Leg Syndrome – Anderson Podiatry Center

A New Cause of Muscle Twitching in Legs and a Solution

Posted on December 12, 2024June 27, 2025 by admin

Twitches are common. Muscle twitching is a common complaint that can be associated with restless legs (RLS). You do not have to have restless legs to have muscle twitching, but it can be a symptom related to restless legs that is annoying, and in its more severe forms can present as jerking in the legs. Another term to describe this is periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD). Another common medical term to describe muscle twitching is muscle fasciculations. Both muscle twitching and muscle fasciculations can be used interchangeably. Muscle twitching can be in different parts of the body. In this blog, we will specifically focus on muscle twitching and how it relates to restless legs syndrome but before we do so we need to mention other medical conditions or reasons that you may be getting muscle twitching in your leg.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease – This is a severe neurological condition that includes speech difficulties such as slurred speech and difficulty speaking. It can also cause muscle weakness that can become severe in the hands, arms, feet, and legs. If you are having significant weakness of muscles or difficulty speaking, this could lead you to suspect ALS.
Increased adrenaline – Anything that stimulates the body such as caffeine or stress may also be a cause of muscle twitching.
Fatigue – Any type of activity that may cause muscle fatigue may result in muscle twitching along with muscle spasms and muscle cramps after the activity is completed.
Benign Fasciculation Syndrome – This is a medical condition that can cause fasciculations in various muscle groups of which there is no known cause.

Treatment of muscle twitching in legs

Because these symptoms are not serious, there aren’t any FDA-approved treatments that are known to stop muscle twitching. There may be medications that are used to relax the muscles and reduce muscle twitching. However, the side effects of these medications are not worth the benefits.

Muscle Twitching/Jerking as it relates to Restless Legs

A New Hypothesis

To understand muscle twitching as it relates to restless legs, we first must understand the two basic anatomical components of the nervous system.

Central Nervous System

The central nervous system is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. Most research regarding restless legs involves the central nervous system. It is thought that lower dopamine levels or lower iron levels in the brain may correlate to having restless legs. Oftentimes medications are used to increase dopamine levels or iron levels in the brain.

Peripheral nervous system

The peripheral nervous system is composed of nerves that extend to the arms and legs. An example in the upper extremity is the median nerve in the wrist which undergoes compression as it passes through a tunnel called the carpal tunnel. Another area is the ulnar nerve in the elbow which is also referred to as the funny bone when you hit your elbow. This new idea about jerking or twitching is that it may be caused by damage to the nerves of the peripheral nervous system.

Background

This author has successively reversed the symptoms of neuropathy for over two decades. The symptoms of neuropathy are reversed by opening (decompressing) different nerve tunnels in the lower extremity. By releasing the compression on these nerves, the symptoms of neuropathy can be improved. Approximately ten years ago, it was found that two additional nerve tunnels could be causing nerve compression and seem to be highly correlated to restless legs. By relieving pressure on the nerves in these two tunnels, reversal of restless legs symptoms was possible. Not only were the symptoms of nervousness, restlessness, creepy crawly sensations, and cramping released but also jerking and fasciculations were also reduced or eliminated.

How This Concept Disrupts Conventional Medicines Theory on Twitching and Jerking related to Restless legs?

Until the recent observation of patients having great success with nerve decompression surgery helping restless legs, it had always been assumed that iron and dopamine may play a major role. That is not to say that they may have some impact, however, it is important to note that surgical decompression has shown success and should be considered an option especially when restless legs symptoms are severe.

The new hypothesis for muscle twitching in the leg.

The idea is that the twitching can be caused by the peripheral nervous system when the nerves are damaged from excessive compression. This damage to the nerve may cause a noxious sensation in the legs and send a signal to the spinal cord and the central nervous system that results in a twitching or jerking response in the muscles in the leg.

In some cases, severe jerking is involuntary meaning it cannot be controlled by the patient. Another possibility is that the compression also damages the motor neurons that stimulate muscle contraction. This may also create twitching and lead to muscle weakness which is seen in some patients with restless legs. With the noxious stimuli, if it is mild, the patient may present with fasciculations. Currently, we have one peer-reviewed published paper showing the fact that we can reverse restless legs symptoms, and another paper soon to be published. Both papers report that jerking is eliminated or greatly reduced.

So, if you have severe symptoms of restless legs that are affecting your sleep and also there is twitching in your legs, understand that there may be another option. This new option of decompression of tight nerve tunnels in the legs tells us there’s a possibility that the twitching may be related to the compression of the nerve. I often refer to restless legs as restless legs compression syndrome as for many there is compression in the nerve tunnels in the legs where the symptoms of restless legs are found.

Experiencing unexplained muscle twitching in your legs? Our foot and nerve specialists can help pinpoint the cause and find a solution.

Call us today at our Fort Collins location (970) 484-4620, Broomfield location (720) 259-5053 or use our online scheduling system to book your appointment.

David Post Operation

Arlene is cured of muscle twitching in her legs after 25 years

Suffering from Nerve Pain In Your Legs at Night? Find Out Why!

Posted on July 21, 2022June 30, 2025 by admin

Unfortunately, most people reading this may experience poor sleep due to nerve pain. Difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep quality, exhaustion; these can all be factors of nerve pain at night. Not to mention the anxiousness of thinking what you’ll do the next night. Many individuals experience the pain all the way from their hips, to their feet. For some, it is an isolated feeling solely in the upper legs, ankles, or feet. But the real question is: why does this happen and what can you do about it to get a more restful night?

Why Is The Nerve Pain In My Legs Worse At Night?

Distractions
It is thought that for some, the reason could be that during your waking hours, your mind is distracted by all the things you’re doing during the day. At night these distractions go away, so now your attention is focused on the nerve pain in your legs.
Sleep Position
You may have noticed that certain sleep positions will aggravate your pain. Certain positions may aggravate pain if it is coming from your back. Certain positions may also put more pressure on locations where the nerves are damaged in the legs.
Sheets and Blankets
The pressure of sheets or blankets on the skin may also cause discomfort so reducing this pressure on the legs may help.
Temperature
Most people prefer a cool room to sleep in, but it is thought that this may contribute to nerve pain. There may be less blood flow to the nerves in the legs because of the decreased body temperature, and the coolness may make the nerves more excitable.*What Conventional Medicine Will Tell You

What Conventional Medicine Is Telling You

Sciatica
This is pain that originates from the spinal cord where the nerves that go to your legs originate. Symptoms tend to be more above the knee then below.
Nerve pain from peripheral Neuropathy
It may be burning, tingling, numbness, or pins and needles sensations that you’ll experience. Neuropathy can be associated with medical conditions such as diabetes.

Here is what 95% of you are not being told! Read further

As a peripheral nerve surgeon, I will often mention to my patients that conventional medicine is 30 years behind regarding the evaluation and treatment of the peripheral nervous system in the lower extremity. Few doctors have thorough training in this speciality, and many people are not properly diagnosed because of this. It is common to hear; “It’s irreversible, so take anti-inflammatory medications or prescription drugs.” Or, you’re told the problem comes from the back, and treatments are focused on the back only leading to physical therapy or chiropractor appointments. These often fail to address the source.

Three Nerve Tunnels In The Legs You Need To Become Familiar With To Understand The Source Of Your Leg Pain

Common Peroneal Nerve Tunnel
This tunnel is just below the knee on the outside of the leg. This nerve supplies the muscles and provides sensation to the top of the foot.
Superficial Peroneal Nerve
This nerve is a branch of the common peroneal nerve and its tunnel is on the front of the leg in the lower one third. It also supplies nerves to the top of the foot.
Soleal Sling Tunnel
This nerve lies in the upper calf just below the knee. It supplies the skin and muscles on the bottom of the foot.

So Why Could The Pain Be From These Tunnels?

Mechanical
It may be that you are born with tight nerve tunnels, just like some patients are more likely to have carpal tunnel. Patients suffering from Restless legs have a fifty percent chance of someone else in the family also having Restless legs. So tight nerve tunnels could be inherited.
Trauma
For others, something as simple as an ankle sprain could put traction on these nerves and cause chronic nerve pain.
Metabolic
If you’re diabetic because your sugars are higher, your nerves will swell causing more pressure on the nerves as they travel through nerve tunnels. So, the nerve damage is more from compression rather than the medical condition.

So, if you’re frustrated with nerve pain in your legs and you’re being told it’s your back, neuropathy, irreversible, or maybe medication is the only fix; now you know there is another solution. The source of the pain may be from one of the three nerve tunnels we have described. So if you want to improve the quality of your sleep, this blog may have opened the door to a new solution. We are here to help.

Watch Julianne explain how she finally found relief from nerve pain.

Are diabetes and Restless Legs connected?

Posted on June 14, 2022June 30, 2025 by admin

What do Restless Legs Syndrome and Diabetes have in common? Other than that they both affect hundreds of millions of people, Restless Legs Syndrome and Diabetes are commonly linked together. In this blog, we will cite excerpts from our peer-reviewed research, and dive into how these two diagnoses are connected, and reversed.

Very few are aware that Restless Legs Syndrome is reversible. It’s important to understand that the treatment of both Restless Legs and Neuropathy is dominated by the pharmaceutical industry. Typically, doctors look to prescribe various medications as soon as you present symptoms. However, this blog will provide you with a non-medication approach. It all starts with doctors and patients having a better understanding of the peripheral nervous system, and its role in creating Neuropathy and Restless Legs symptoms.

The source of both Restless Legs Syndrome and Diabetic Neuropathy can both be the same.

Restless Legs Can Impact the Quality of Your Sleep and Life

Symptoms of Restless legs tend to present at night, and therefore, many suffer from lack of sleep. This can lead to exhaustion, depression, and other issues such as weight gain and high blood pressure. Most common symptoms include the urge to move the leg, which in turn means waking up. Additional symptoms could be “creepy crawly” sensations, cramping, and uncontrollable jerking (often referred to as periodic limb movement disorders). These symptoms either interrupt sleep, or make it difficult to fall asleep leading many to develop sleeping disorders.

Neuropathy Presents in 50 to 70 Percent of Patients With Diabetes

Symptoms of these patients include burning, tingling, numbness, and weakness. Conditions occur throughout the day and night, creating unhealthy sleeping patterns. There are two factors that make diabetics more likely to have neuropathy:

Polyol Pathway and Sorbitol

Sorbitol is a sugar that tends to reside in the nerve tissue of diabetics. Metabolically, when glucose levels are increased, glucose breaks down differently by the polyol pathway; and the by-product is sorbitol. When sorbitol gets into the nerve, more water is attracted to the nerve and the nerve enlarges. Studies have shown that diabetics may have a 40 percent increase in size. Since the nerves in the legs and feet travel through nerve tunnels (similar to carpal tunnel in the hands), the nerves become compressed and squeezed. This then causes nerve damage when blood sugars are high.

Malliard Effect

A French doctor by the name of Louis Malliard, first described this phenomenon. When you combine proteins that comprise our soft tissue structures, and glucose, you get advanced glycation end products (AGP). This causes the soft tissues to become more rigid, scarred, and less elastic. It leads to more damage to the diabetic nerve because the nerve tunnels that our nerves travel through, are now more rigid and can create high levels of compression on the nerves.

In summary, both the Polyol Pathway and the Malliard Effect increase the possibility of compression of nerve tunnels in the legs and feet. If this is new to you, do not fear. There is abbundant research to explain what the Maillard Effect and Polyol Pathway do to your body metabolically. In other words, it is crucial to look at biochemistry to see if medications may be helpful. Dr. James Anderson’s original research on Restless Legs, and a large volume of research on diabetic neuropathy, are leading down a different pathway. He likes to refer to it as the MECHANICAL PATHWAY. As you are beginning to understand these two processes, you can identify the negative effects on your nerves and body tissue. The net result of both is increased nerve compression in the nerve tunnels.

What Does the Research Say About the Connection Between Restless legs and Diabetic Neuropathy?

There are studies to support that if you have diabetes, the likelihood of you having Restless Legs increases. One study showed an increased chance of Restless Legs in patients with diabetes of 18-29 percent, compared to 6-7 percent in the control group. ⁽¹⁾ Another study reports similar findings. ⁽²⁾ So as you can see, the odds of getting neuropathy as a diabetic are increased. Unfortunately, the same is true that if you have diabetes, you are more likely to have Restless Legs Syndrome, which is secondary to diabetes.

What Our Research Shows to Support a Non-Drug Solution!

So, if we’re saying compression plays a role in diabetes being linked to neuropathy and Restless Legs Syndrome, what evidence can we present to support this?

In relation to diabetic neuropathy, for almost two decades, Dr. Anderson has been decompressing nerve tunnels that become tight to reverse diabetic and non-diabetic neuropathy. Two of his peer-reviewed papers will show you that when we tested nerves intraoperatively using EMG testing, we could objectively demonstrate the improvement of nerve function in diabetics. For many, the improvement was well over 100 percent, and approaching 300 percent for some.⁽³⁾
In relation to Restless Legs, for the last 9 years, Dr. Anderson has taken charge to prove that for a majority of patients with severe Restless Legs, surgical decompression of nerve tunnels can provide a solution. You can also review the first peer-reviewed research paper on this concept.⁽⁴⁾

Conclusion: There Are More Pathways to Explore

So, from Dr. Anderson’s own personal experience as a peripheral nerve surgeon, he affirms that if you have diabetes, there is a greater chance that you will have neuropathy and Restless Legs. Research clearly shows there is a relationship between the two. The commonality is that both can be from compression, and diabetes increases the chances of having both.

The next question to answer is: Why do some patients with compression in their nerve tunnels get neuropathy symptoms, and others get Restless Legs symptoms? Although research on this is fairly limited, our team plans to share theories in some of our future blogs. For many of you, it is possible that you will persist in opting for conventional medicine. This has become a monetization approach for doctors which include Ropinirole, Mirapex, Neurontin, and other narcotics.

For many with minimal symptoms in early stages, the medications may be appropriate. However, for those with severe symptoms, the lack of quality of life and the possibility of severe mental and physical health issues might be compelling to consider other options. This “other option” suggests Restless Legs can be related to a mechanical compression issue. We always encourage our patients to be continuously engaged and educated on the subject. Dr. Anderson’s book, A Perfect Night’s Sleep, might help you make a connection between your diabetes and restlessness. Always remember, there is hope for you to have them reversed.

Dr. James Anderson

References:

Mehdi Zobeiri, Azita Shokoohi, “Restless Leg Syndrome in Diabetics Compared with Normal Controls”, Sleep Disorders, vol. 2014, Article ID 871751, 4 pages, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/871751
Giovanni Merlino, MD, Lara Fratticci, MD, Mariarosaria Valente, MD, Angela Del Giudice, MD, Claudio Noacco, MD, Pierluigi Dolso, MD, Iacopo Cancelli, MD, Anna Scalise, MD, PhD, Gian Luigi Gigli, MD, Association of Restless Legs Syndrome in Type 2 Diabetes: A Case-Control Study, Sleep, Volume 30, Issue 7, July 2007, Pages 866–871, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/30.7.866
https://websitetest8.striveenterprisetest.com/dr-anderson-sharing-his-research-and-expertise-internationally/
James C. Anderson, Megan L. Fritz, John-Michael Benson, Brian L. Tracy, Nerve Decompression and Restless Legs Syndrome: A Retrospective Analysis, Front. Neurol., 06 July 2017, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2017.00287
https://websitetest8.striveenterprisetest.com/dr-anderson-sharing-his-research-and-expertise-internationally/

On the radio with Dr. James Anderson

Posted on August 12, 2021June 30, 2025 by admin

Hear from your local podiatrist Dr. James Anderson in this candid interview on 93.5 Oldies radio.

In this candid interview with Dr. James Anderson, your local foot doctor talks about his decision to become a podiatrist. The importance of feet in daily life and the high success rate drove Dr. Anderson to choose podiatry as his line of work. Anderson Podiatry Center has two locations, in Fort Collins and Broomfield, which provides patients easy access.

With 40 years of being in business, Anderson Podiatry Center has a great reputation and a lot of experience in various foot ailments. From the most common ailments of plantar facilities to the latest in regenerative medicine using stem cells, Anderson Podiatry provides full-service foot care.

Dr. Anderson is known across North America for his published work and book on Restless Leg Syndrome by opening nerve tunnels or nerve decompression.

What Causes Restless Leg Syndrome?

Posted on April 26, 2018July 1, 2025 by admin

The Symptoms of RLS

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a common issue for many people. Studies have estimated that between 10-15% of the total population may be affected. 5% severely so, and the subsequent lack of sleep causes a devastating effect on mental and physical health and life expectancy.

Often, these patients complain of an uncontrollable urge to move their legs, usually because of an uncomfortable sensation. It typically happens in the evening or nighttime hours when sitting or lying down. Moving eases the unpleasant feeling temporarily. Many describe the feeling as “ants are crawling through my legs,” or “soda running through my veins.”

Diagnosis is based on the type and severity of symptoms and there is no blood test or imaging study that can be used to diagnose RLS. Treatment is usually aimed at relieving the symptoms and improving sleep. Typically, doctors prescribe medications that mask these symptoms. These have varying success rates usually related to the severity of the symptoms. Those with milder symptoms typically get better relief, but the medication can create unwanted side effects and even the threat of addiction.

What Causes RLS?

So, what causes Restless Leg Syndrome? For several years, Dr. Anderson and I, along with several other doctors from the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons (AENS) have been treating patients for pain and numbness due to neuropathy caused by pinched or compressed nerves in the legs.

Often the treatment involves surgical decompression of the nerves which is similar to carpal tunnel release. In addition to pain, burning, and numbness, these patients will often also complain of the restless leg symptoms described above, and difficulty sitting or sleeping. Patients with more severe symptoms are desperate for relief, as it creates exhaustion and strains work and interpersonal relationships, and well-being.

We almost universally see dramatic post-operative improvements in the RLS symptoms along with improvements in the pain, burning, and numbness from the neuropathy. We began to wonder what the potential link between nerve entrapment and RLS could be. That’s what inspired us to begin doing research. Dr. Anderson has published one scientific study already. There are other upcoming studies that provide consistent data to show that RLS can be reversed with decompression techniques.

15 Years of Suffering From RLS

Today, I want to tell you about one particular patient case. In this case, we see how RLS symptoms can be significantly improved by nerve decompression surgery, and how to test this prior to surgery to see if this type of surgery will help.

This patient is a 52 year-old female with a 15 + year history of RLS. She had significant issues with sleep and had been treating this with drug therapy, Iron supplements, vitamins, and diet changes with no improvements.

For about a year prior to her first visit with me, she had been wearing an activity monitor to track her sleep. She quickly realized that on most nights she was showing signs of significant movement every 20-30 minutes. She didn’t always fully wake up but was concerned that her poor sleep quality was becoming a problem.

Is It A Pinched Nerve?

One technique that is very helpful to test if pinched nerves are causing the symptoms is to perform diagnostic nerve blocks at the affected nerves. This simply involves injecting a small amount of cortisone and local anesthetic next to the nerves. If the nerves are chronically pinched and damaged, then the injection will temporarily calm them down.

Most often these patients will have 5-7 days of relief of their symptoms after the injections. If so, then it is likely that nerve decompression surgery will help that patient. If the injections do not provide relief, then the surgery will not likely help.

Today, Her Symptoms Are Gone

For this patient, the injections gave her quite a bit of relief for about 2 weeks. Once the symptoms started to return, she was ready to schedule the surgeries. I do not typically operate on both legs at once so I performed surgery on her right leg first, then her left leg 3 weeks later.

Her symptoms resolved quickly and she has not had any return of RLS in 6 months after surgery.

This type of surgery is very successful for 85-90% of RLS sufferers who are appropriate candidates. They can often return to their lives with little to no symptoms.

If you or someone you love has been suffering from RLS, please come see us. We have treated hundreds of patients successfully, and we would love to help you get your life back.

Learn about more treatment options for RLS.

To make an appointment, click here.

Zelda’s Story: RLS Non-Surgical Treatment

Posted on December 18, 2017July 1, 2025 by admin

No Solution for RLS?

Zelda had struggled with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) for years. The constant need to move her legs and creepy-crawly sensation was keeping her awake at night and affecting her daily activities. “I went to different doctors,” Zelda says, “But they told me there was nothing they could do.”

When You Can’t Sit Still

Zelda’s RLS symptoms didn’t just flare up at night, she was having a hard time getting through her daily activities as well.

“I couldn’t go to church anymore. I couldn’t go to a movie, or sit down to crotchet or even eat a meal.” Zelda says. She tried taking a medicine called Tramadol, but most of the time, it didn’t help. She eventually tried spraying Icy Hot on her legs just to dull the pain.

Finally, An Answer Online

The constant need to get up and pace was taking a toll on Zelda. “I couldn’t stay still, and I couldn’t get any relief,” she says.

Finally, one day, her daughter got online to look for answers, found Dr. James Anderson, DPM, and made an appointment.

RLS Non-Surgical Treatment

Zelda met with the Dr. Anderson, and he recommended a combination of ESTIM and MLS laser treatment. Dr. Anderson says, “This was a great option for Zelda because she was able to avoid surgery, and get the relief that she was looking for.”

ESTIM is an electrical stimulation treatment. “We use this to send various pulse waves into the leg, and it can stimulate the nerves to want to repair themselves,” Dr. Anderson explains.

The MLS laser works more on the cellular level. Dr. Anderson says, “The mitochondria is the “energy-creating” part of your cells. The laser works by targeting the mitochondria specifically in the nerve cells to help repair the damaged nerve tissue.”

All the Difference

For Zelda, this treatment made all the difference. Before she even finished her treatment, she was reporting 90-95% improvement in her symptoms.

“Now, I can sit. I can eat, and I don’t have any pain. I’m sleeping through the night, and the jittery feeling is gone,” she says. Zelda is back to the activities she loves. She can crotchet, go to the movies, and go to church. Her advice for others experiencing RLS symptoms is this.

“Just make an appointment because there is no one else out there doing this. Even if it only helps 75%, it’s worth it. To be able to sleep, and live your daily life again, it makes all the difference in the world.”

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Learn about more treatment options for RLS.

To make an appointment, click here.

Vanessa’s Story: An Answer for RLS

Posted on September 25, 2017July 1, 2025 by admin

Vanessa had been suffering from severe Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) for many years. Finally, the answer came.

The Diagnosis

“I have dealt with this for many, many years. They diagnosed me with fibromyalgia, and put me on medication, including Gabapentin,” Vanessa says.

The medication helped a little, but it wasn’t enough.

“This is something that we see quite frequently,” says Dr. James Anderson, DPM. “Many patients have been put on medication for neuropathy and restless legs, and either it doesn’t help, or they are suffering from unwanted side effects. They come to us looking for hope.”

When You Can’t Fall Asleep

Vanessa’s symptoms were the worst at night. Like many patients struggling with RLS, as soon as she laid down to rest, the feeling of extreme anxiety in her legs and the constant need to get up and move would take over.

“I just couldn’t get to sleep,” Vanessa says. “My legs were tingling and numb, and just felt anxious, like I had to move them. It just didn’t feel right.”

After spending years being awake while everyone else was asleep, Vanessa was looking everywhere for a solution.

Finally, she saw a commercial with Dr. Anderson, DPM, talking about nerve decompression surgery for patients with RLS. “I said, “Yes, thank you!” Vanessa says, remembering the relief she felt.

The Answer

Vanessa came to see Dr. James Anderson, and he recommended nerve decompression surgery.

“This procedure takes about an hour, and we go in surgically to open up tight nerve tunnels in the lower leg that are causing the symptoms of RLS,” says Dr. Anderson.

He identified three nerve tunnels that were compressed in Vanessa’s legs, the superficial peroneal nerve, common peroneal nerve, and the soleal sling. In the operating room, he used a nerve monitor to verify that the nerve function was improving during her surgery.

Sleeping All Through The Night

Two weeks after surgery, Vanessa came back in for her follow-up appointment and she was all smiles. She didn’t report experiencing any pain after surgery. What she did experience, was the sleep she had been hoping for.

“I fall asleep, and sleep all through the night!” she says. “This has helped me tremendously. Dr. Anderson is awesome!”

To learn more about how we treat restless leg syndrome.

To make an appointment, click here.