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Soap Quiets Twitchy Thumb

Q. A couple of nights ago, my thumb began to twitch without stopping. It kept me up most of the night and I found it very distracting the whole next day.

I have read many of your columns about soap under the bed sheets for RLS (restless leg syndrome). When I thought of them, I went into the bathroom and found a bar of hotel soap and held it in my hand. A minute later, the thumb finally stopped and hasn’t twitched since! I don’t know how soap did this magic, but I am convinced after my 24-hour ordeal that it worked.

A. We are equally puzzled about why soap would have any effect on unwanted muscle movement like your thumb twitch. We have heard from a number of other people that it can be helpful for RLS or cramps in legs or hands.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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