Restless leg syndrome (RLS) causes a lot of discomfort. It can be burning sensations, throbbing, tingling, and creeping, tugging and involuntary movements of the legs. This usually happens when the legs are at rest especially during night time. It can also happen during prolonged sitting or lying down or during any other periods of inactivity.

There are no exact causes of RLS although some research points to it as a medical condition arising from an imbalance of some brain chemicals known as dopamine. Included factors in this condition are heredity, vitamin deficiency, hormonal imbalance, stress and in some cases pregnancy. RLS should be diagnosed correctly by a qualified doctor. There would be times that it is mistaken for other health problems which you may have like muscle cramps or arthritis.

There are some effective treatments to reduce leg restlessness. Temporary relief may be done by walking or jiggling your legs. You need to do some moderate leg exercises like knee bending and stretching before your bedtime. Soaking the legs in warm water and massaging them would relax the muscles of your legs. You can apply natural essential oils or aromatherapy to your legs for relaxation. You can alternately apply cool or warm packs to the legs to lessen restlessness. Try to have a regular sleeping time. Sleep with a pillow between your legs to lessen movement. Make sure that your sleeping environment is comfortable for you to sleep in.

Since stress is a possible factor to restless legs, practice relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation especially at night. You should also have a healthy life style. Avoid smoking and avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol. Eat a light balanced meal especially at night. Ask your doctor to prescribe you some dosage of iron vitamins, zinc, magnesium vitamins and vitamin E to reduce leg restlessness. Eat foods rich in iron such as liver, beef, fish, shrimp, clams and mussels. Include in your diet the foods that at rich in folate such as green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits and juices, dried beans and peas.

There are herbal remedies that can help reduce leg restlessness. Herbs such as valerian, hops, passion flower and St. John’s Wort are good to induce good sleep. Boil in a pot of water, steep for about 15 minutes, strain the herbs and drink as tea. You can drink a cup of these herbs before bedtime. Other supplements that can help are extracts of gingko biloba, folic acid, Co-enzymeQ10 and garlic tablets.

If restless leg syndrome is getting to be such a pain to you, you can opt for acupuncture. You can also go to a chiropractor who can help you with your leg restlessness problem.

There is no known permanent cure for RLS. Those who have this condition may experience some remissions wherein their symptoms may decrease for a few weeks or a few months and if lucky, it would eventually disappear. But, there are cases that RLS may gradually increase and worsen with age. It is then a lifetime condition that can be addressed by current therapies that would help minimize and control the problem.

Jason Ladock

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