Ninety percent of us masturbate because it feels good. Now there may be another reason to do it. According to a new study, for some people masturbation can ease restless leg syndrome (RLS). Thats good news for the up to ten percent of Americans who suffer with the condition, most of whom are middle-aged or older adults.
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a disorder in which there is an urge or need to move the legs, or arms, to stop unpleasant sensations. The sensations have been described as creeping, crawling, aching, pulling, or tingling. Usually the feelings occur at night when lying down, or during the day after long periods of sitting. Stress can make it worse.
Although the exact causes of RSL have yet to be pinpointed, brain autopsies and imaging studies suggest one contributing factor is an imbalance of dopamine a hormonal messenger that, among other things, activates the areas of the brain responsible for pleasure.
Luis Marin and his colleagues at the Federal University of So Paulo, Brazil, who reported on the masturbation treatment this month in Sleep Science, suspect that the release of orgasm-related dopamine might play a role in relieving RLSs symptoms. An orgasm provides one of the biggest natural blasts of dopamine available to us. This temporary increase in dopamine may act in a similar way to those drugs that mimic the hormone, giving RSL sufferers relief from restless legs syndrome.
There are also several prescribed medications, as well as iron supplements, that can help with the disorder. The federal Food and Drug Administration has just approved Horizant, a medication for moderate to severe cases of RLS. Horizant relies on a drug used to treat epileptic seizures.
Robin Westen is ThirdAges medical reporter. Check for her daily updates.
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