Restless legs syndrome is a fairly common condition, affecting about10% of all adults in the U.S. While more of a nuisance than a cause for alarm, those with restless legs syndrome welcome anything that alleviates their discomfort. Surprisingly, masturbation may be one way to combat this issue. Men interested in good penis care know that masturbation has many benefits, but the possibility that it keeps legs under control is likely to be news to most.

What is RLS?

Restless legs syndrome (or RLS) is a sleep-related movement disorder in which a person has an irresistible impulse to move the legs when at rest. It is most popularly known for the fact that its victims experience severe leg movements while they sleep, which causes discomfort for them and impedes the restfulness associated with and needed from sleep. In addition, those who sleep in the same bed are made uncomfortable and have their own sleep disturbed by the sometimes violent involuntary leg movements.

In popular culture, RLS is limited to the bedtime hours. In practice, however, many people with RLS experience similar, if not as intense, desires to move their legs while awake. When that desire is stifled, they may experience itchiness, numbness or "creepy" feelings in their legs.

Causes

What causes RLS? There are quite a few things which are linked to the appearance of RLS, including:

- Iron deficiency , the cause of perhaps 20% of all RLS cases. Lack of iron is thought to impede dopamine production, and lack of dopamine seems to be a big factor in RLS. (Dopamine is a hormone that plays a key role in how a body experiences pleasure.)

- ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), primarily because of the lack of sufficient dopamine.

- Genetics , especially (again) when the genes create a situation in which dopamine is frequently lacking.

- Medications , which may inadvertently create or worsen RLS while improving other conditions.

Masturbation as medication

So why is masturbation a possible relief for RLS? According to a study published in the journal Sleep Science, it all has to do with dopamine.

As indicated above, dopamine production seems to play a role in RLS. As a matter of fact, many doctors prescribe medications that aim to up dopamine production in order to provide relief from RLS.

But what if there were a natural way of increasing dopamine, rather than an artificial way? Scientists have studied brain imaging scans taken of men experiencing an ejaculation. The scans show that the dopamine levels generated during male orgasm are extremely high.

In at least one case study, a man was found to alleviate all his RLS symptoms whenever he masturbated. From this study, many doctors had taken to advising their male patients with RLS to try masturbating just before bed every night. And many patients report that it does indeed make a difference and allow them to get a good night’s sleep.

Not that a man needs an excuse for masturbation, but it’s good to know that he can justify his solo activities as a means of warding off restless legs syndrome. Of course, sometimes masturbation gets a little over-aggressive, so it helps if a man regularly applies a first rate penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) to an overused penis. A raw penis responds well to a crème that contains moisturizing agents like vitamin E and Shea butter. It’s even better if the crème also contains vitamin A, which is blessed with strong anti-bacterial properties. This enables vitamin A to fight many of the bacteria which cling to the penis and bring with them a rank, unwanted penis odor.