I realized something yesterday. I shake my legs. All the time.
Well, actually, I’ve known that since I was a kid. But what I realized yesterday (because it was forcefully and humerously pointed out to me by some friends) is that most other people don’t do this. But me, when I’m sitting down, one or the other or both of my knees is sure to be bobbing rapidly up and down. I don’t even have to think about it–in fact, I have to think about it in order to make it stop.
I suspect this may be related to the fact that when I am standing, and not doing anything else, I tend to sway, sometimes quite widely. Apparently, my body needs to be moving in some way, and I have to exert effort to make it stop.
What’s up with this? Is there anything else this kind of behavior correlates with? Do I have a brain tumor?
Restless Leg Syndrome?
but probably not. More likely a nervous tic. Usually happens to me at restaurants after I’m done eating. Like I’m anxious to leave or something.
First of all, you’re not the only person who does this. I’ve done it since I was a kid, almost always without realising it, and my friends have made fun of me about it too
I’m not a doctor, but I think the answer has something to do with the fact that when you’re sitting you’re resting your leg on the ball of your foot and putting pressure on a nerve or musle or something which triggers the reflexive leg shaking.
It may be part of some anxiety disorder. I have had something similar off and on throughout my life. I have also used the terminology of it taking effort to stop rather than keep doing it which many people can’t understand. It isn’t that unusual in any case.
I’ve heard it called “sewing machine leg”, although Googling that comes up with an issue rock climbers have with shaking legs. I do it, too, but I can only do it with my right leg. Usually when I’m bored or restless.
I do it too although not all the time. At work if I am not bouncing my leg up and down then I am fidgeting with something in my hand. I have a couple of different fidget toys at my desk.
Not to offend anybody, but I’ve noticed that there is a very strong correlation between this behavior and tendencies towards substance abuse, which might back up the anxiety disorder hypothesis. I used to do it quite a bit myself in my younger ‘party animal’ days, but when I outgrew the partying, the behavior stopped.
I’ve done it for about 50 years, on and off. It’s really neat when you can get a syncopation going between the two legs, especially when one is moving slightly faster than the other, so they phase in and out of synch.
I also sometimes have RLS, which is an entirely different thing.
I also do it… All the time! My father does too. It makes me think of when I was younger and how my dad used to do it while I was sitting beside him at church and it would drive me crazy. And then I realized that I also do it too.
