Syndrome
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- What is restless legs syndrome?
- Symptoms of restless legs syndrome
- Causes of restless legs syndrome
- Prevention of restless legs syndrome
- Risk factors for restless legs syndrome
- Complications of restless legs syndrome
- When to see a doctor about restless legs syndrome
- Diagnosis of restless legs syndrome
- Conventional treatment of restless legs syndrome
- Alternative/complementary treatment of restless legs syndrome
- Living with restless legs syndrome
- Caring for someone with restless legs syndrome
Conventional treatment of restless legs syndrome
Conventional treatment of restless legs syndrome involves a combination of strategies, including:
Diet modifications
Some dietary modifications may be helpful in reducing symptoms:
- Limit alcohol - people who drink a lot of alcohol often notice that symptoms get much worse when their intake of alcohol is high. Conventional advice is to limit alcohol intake to reduce severity and duration of symptoms
- Limit caffeine - people who drink a lot of coffee or energy drinks, which are high in caffeine, often notice that symptoms get much worse when their intake of caffeine is high. Conventional advice is to limit caffeine intake to reduce severity and duration of symptoms
Lifestyle modifications
Some lifestyle modifications may be helpful in reducing symptoms:
- Avoid smoking - people who smoke cigarettes often notice that symptoms get worse when they smoke, so giving up is highly recommended
- Exercise regularly - physical activity is vitally important to help the muscles, nerves and tissues function properly. Regular exercise helps improve circulation and may also help to improve symptoms
- Massage - especially of the legs and feet, helps to improve circulation, warms the leg muscles to help to them to function properly and may improve symptoms
- Reduce stress - one the biggest triggers for worsening of symptoms is chronic stress. The way to reduce stress is through some type of relaxation therapy - some good ones are meditation, tai chi and yoga
- Sleep - adequate sleep and proper rest is very necessary for any type of health condition, but especially for chronic conditions which especially require the body to get enough sleep to help it heal more effectively
- Spa or bath - many people often report symptoms get better when they have a bath, spa, or other warm water treatment
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Medications
In addition to the above lifestyle and dietary strategies, medications can also be used for relief of symptoms, which can be used alone or in various combinations, prescribed by a doctor or specialist:
- Alpha2 agonists - these medications stimulate the part of the brain that activate neurons to slow down muscles movements and sensations in order to help reduce symptoms
- Anti-convulsants - these medications are used for strong muscles spasms, pain and peripheral neuropathy that do not respond to the dopamine agonists
- Dopamine agonists - these medications increase the levels of dopamine in the brain, but cause fewer side effects than Levodopa. They are long-acting and treat moderate to severe cases of restless legs syndrome as well as mild cases that do not respond to Levodopa
- Levodopa - this medication helps with milder forms of restless legs syndrome, is short-acting and is also used to treat Parkinson's disease. It works to increase levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain and enable symptoms to be alleviated
- Sedatives - benzodiazepine medications assist with sleeping for people who cannot sleep properly due to the severity of symptoms
- Strong pain-relievers - these are used to treat the pain and discomfort some people experience. These medications are used when pain is really severe and if dopamine agonists also do not work to relieve symptoms
Supplements
If the secondary restless legs syndrome is determine to be from a nutritional deficiency, then supplementation will be recommended, depending on the nutrient (below) in short supply. The type of supplementation (oral, intravenous) will also be advised by the treating doctor or specialist:
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< 8: diagnosis 10: alternative treatment > Last reviewed: 29 October 2007 || Last updated: 5 February 2009
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
