NTSS (a common syndrome, often misdiagnosed)

I know someone who claims she suffers from restless legs syndrome (RLS). According to the Mayo Clinic, RLS has no known causes, although there are suggestions that it may be a result of an imbalance of dopamine in the brain.

Now stay with me here. We're going back to when I was a wee gal. I was a rhythmic gymnast for several years, which meant that I got plenty of exercise. I would regularly feel a need to stretch. The only way I can describe how it feels is little blue monsters reaching through my skin and teasingly tugging at my muscles.

Maybe little green monsters. See? He's stretching and he's happy. (And "rawr" means I love you in dinosaur.) Also, not my illustration, unfortunately.

When I quit (about four years ago), I experienced this to a greater extent. Because I stopped exercising and stretching so much, I figured that it was my regular need to stretch syndrome (NTSS). In fact, I experienced NTSS last night. It was such a strong episode, that I actually started grabbing at my toes to relieve it. Finally, I made the connection to RLS. Who knew I had been misdiagnosing myself my whole life?

But wait! Doesn't exercise spark dopamine production? The very thing that RLS seems to be the result of? The Mayo Clinic suggests regular exercise and stretching. That's what I prescribed myself when I was experiencing NTSS! I have contacted WebMD to feature NTSS as a common name for RLS, but no word back yet.

In the meantime, those of you who thought you were experiencing NTSS, maybe you're really experiencing RLS! You can go stretch and exercise now, and then your little blue/green monsters may leave you alone for a day or two. Unfortunately, in order to keep them from their nasty habit of making you want to move your legs, you might want to consider daily exercise and stretches. I'm sure they will want to run around you in circles as you treat your NTSS. Go make them happy!

TL;DR: Do you have restless legs? You may be experiencing restless legs syndrome. Maybe they're restless because you haven't been moving them.

P.S. No, I haven't contacted WebMD.

P.P.S. I realize that RLS may actually be a symptom of something else that may actually be a serious problem. MY problem is that everyone has become so unaware of their bodies that they don't know when their body is telling them to go and MOVE something more than their fingers on a keyboard.

P.P.S. Happy September!