Leg Jigglers etc.
 

I was sitting in church last Sunday and noticed a young guy jiggling his foot and leg. It looked remarkably like a PD tremor. He did it for 10 or 15 minutes. I know it is a common thing and it seems to burn off that excess energy buildup some people have. I used to be a knee jiggler and it drove my husband nuts. (which husband and how nuts will be covered in another post) Over the years I have noticed lots of people with this nervous little habit. Mostly men, but women do it to. How many of you used to be "jigglers" and I wonder if its a early indicator of something Neurological?

Rosebud: this a very interesting post .My husband has been a foot jiggler for at least 25 years.It may be longer but I am sure of the 25 years because of a specific incident.It used to occur when excited or annoyed exactly when his tremor is worse now.

Knee jiggling
 

I used to do this, and still can, but it is no longer an unconscious habit. My mother would sit on my knee to try to stop it, but without success.

I just tried it, and discovered that I could get my right knee going smoothly after a rough start (I am primarily right-affected). The left leg, however, stayed rough; it never did smooth out.

Both of my three year old grandsons 'wag' a leg when they get excited and want to tell us something funny. In adults I've always looked at it as a sign of impatience or simmering anger, but maybe it isn't always.
My own legs have for years been 'dancy', especially in airplanes. An internal tickle makes one leg or the other jump up and down until the tickle goes away. The tickle is a purely physical reason for my jumpy legs, and probably connected to PD, but in general, I think legs must express more conscious and unconscious emotion than we are aware of.

birte

knee jiggles
 

I did this for years. Just get it going and it goes on autopilot.

But PD took that ability away. Meds bring it back. In fact, I kind of use it as a gauge to tell how I'm doing.

-Rick

Hello,

I use to joke with Anne (see thread about wrapping/banding.) about being the control rat (I have no PD - hopefully, never know if sth like that will fall on one or not but a sort of chronic fatigue.) about being a control rat. I am a kneejiggler. And it always raises questions like "are you nervous?" No, not especially. Like Rick says just get it going and it continues by itself.

Seeeeeriously, here is something that may interrest you BEMM (and maybe others)
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/r...tless_legs.htm

RLS is somewhat related to PD, a far cousin, and not degenerative. It is uncomfortable. Severe RLS is treated with dopamine agonists since it is also due to a lack of dopamine. It is classified among the sleep disorders because it causes insomnia but the discomfort not only occurs during sleep.

Regards
Karine

Thank you for the reference, Kariner. I'm sure it is a form of RLS that makes my legs 'dance'. However, it never ever wakes me up at night. My aunt (my father's sister) had RLS, the only other member besides me, of my family on either side to have had anything related to PD. Strange roundabout route for genes to have taken if my PD is in any way inherited.

birte

Thanks for your replies. I used to do it when playing cards, bored, impatient and still do it when I'm thinking. It is semi-concious. I control it, but not like I think "oh I'll jiggle my leg now. It was always my right leg, which is the side my PD is dominant on. It just made me feel better. I always thought it was a way of releasing pent up nervous energy. All the leg jigglers I know are married to non-leg jigglers, and their spouse's usually find it annoying. Isn't life interesting?

Jiggling
 

Interesting thread. I was a knee and foot jiggler. On the right side which is the side affected by PD.

It's not my knee but my left foot that used to jiggle. Hasn't done that in years. Perhaps it has outgrown me.

Lloyd