Driving and Restless Legs Syndrome

I really hate driving. Unfortunately, I live in the suburbs and need to drive 2 kids to 2 different schools and any extracurricular activities. I also have to drive to the nearest grocery store, coffee shop, library, or anywhere else I want to go.

I have a little driving anxiety. I’m not the most confident city driver. While I love a good view, I don’t really enjoy the in-town commuting I usually do. It’s boring. But the main reason I hate driving is my legs.

Tight muscles and RLS

I have a propensity for really tight legs. It’s how I keep my stress, I’m told: I clench. I also have naturally tight muscles, especially my iliotibial (IT) band and the muscles surrounding my hips. I have a congenital abnormality in my hips that causes a painful impingement. There’s no easy cure or surgery for it, so I manage it with exercise and stretch therapy.

I also have restless legs syndrome (RLS). The tight muscle situation does not help my RLS at all. In fact, having tight, painful muscles directly contributes to my restless legs symptoms. If I’m tight, achy, or pulled by my muscles, there go my restless legs.

Driving really makes my legs mad. The up and down on my right leg on the gas and brake pedals exacerbate my issues. The imbalance of the 2 legs working also contributes to pain and restlessness. My posture is not always perfect while driving my minivan with my hands at 10 and 2. If I habitually put more weight on one butt cheek or another, I’m messed up for days.

Strategies for managing on the road

I have a few strategies for dealing with driving and how it contributes to my pain and restlessness. For one, I have some easy posture and body adjustments to help me stay in alignment while driving. I also make a point to stretch and do gentle movement on days I’m going to be driving a bunch. I also try to space out big driving trips or have someone else take a turn driving if I’m able.

Setting boundaries

Sometimes, though, the best thing is to set boundaries. After a long week of kid care, I was supposed to go visit a friend for the day on Saturday. I’d been stressed, had been sleeping poorly, and the weather was terrible. Driving to see her would have been an hour in the car each way and my only companion was a car sickness-prone dog.

I ended up canceling on my friend. I felt guilty and sad to miss out on time with her, but she understood. I spent the day catching up on house chores which decreased my anxiety. I also took a much-needed and appreciated nap and went to bed early. When I woke up on Sunday, I was well-rested, not restless, not in pain, and ready to do it all again with the kids.

Listening to my body and limiting my exposure to RLS triggers helped me reduce symptoms and have a better experience this week overall. It was a good lesson in how to manage chronic conditions and I’m going to take it to heart next time I feel overtired.