Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) may be a funny-sounding term, but for about 12 million Americans, it's no laughing matter, according to the Harvard Medical School. People who suffer from RLS are plagued with an overwhelming urge to move their legs, which some sufferers describe as feeling like ants crawling up and down their limbs. The cause of RLS is unknown, but some natural therapies have been shown to relieve symptoms.
Baths and Compresses
Many patients find that using warm or cool therapy can help. Warmth can come from hot baths or a heating pad, while the cold usually takes the form of compresses, cold showers or simply soaking the feet in cool water.
Diet
Two of the worst dietary offenders which contribute to RLS are alcohol and caffeine, the latter of which includes cola, coffee, tea, energy drinks and chocolate. Dr. Lawrence Stern with the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson also recommends avoiding eating a big meal late in the day, since digesting large quantities of food may trigger symptoms. Some medical studies have shown that RLS patients are deficient in folate. Dr. Allan Magaziner of the Magaziner Medical Center in New Jersey suggests that people with RLS increase their intake of folate-rich dark-green, leafy vegetables, either raw or in juice form. Obesity is also a risk factor for RLS, and losing weight may improve or even cure the restless leg symptoms.
Exercise
Daily moderate exercise performed earlier in the day, especially walking, can help calm restless legs at night. A clinical trial at Pennsylvania State University found that people who walked briskly for 30 minutes four times a week had significant improvement in RLS symptoms. Yoga and stretching are also helpful for RLS. Massaging legs right before bedtime may prove beneficial, says Dr. Richard K. Olney, assistant professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco.
Lifestyle Changes
RLS patients often find relief by using ergonomic measures while working and traveling, such as sitting on a high stool which allows legs to dangle, or choosing an aisle seat on an airplane to stretch legs. Other changes regard sleep patterns and rituals. Although the reason isn't known, taking two aspirins before bedtime reduces symptoms in some people. Walking briefly before going to bed can help others. Dr. Lawrence Stern recommends experimenting with changing sleeping positions, since some may exacerbate symptoms more than others.
Iron
RLS is often associated with an iron deficiency. Since over-supplementing with iron can cause potentially dangerous side effects, RLS patients should check with their doctors first before trying to supplement on their own. A 2009 report in "Sleep Medicine" also noted that in some iron-deficient patients with RLS, the underlying cause may be celiac disease, something else that should be tested by a physician.
Other Supplements
Citing a 1998 German study, the journal "Sleep" mentions that magnesium supplements before bedtime can be helpful for RLS. Chris Meletis, N.D., a naturopathic physician at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, also recommends taking a 12C potency formulation of the homeopathic remedies tarentula hispanica, causticum or zinc metallcium three times a day.
Member Comments