A good night’s sleep: treatments for Restless Leg Syndrome

What is Restless Leg Syndrome?

When you retire for the night, do your legs feel as if they have a
mind of their own? If your legs semi-cramp, your toes twitch, you feel
a slight flex in your thigh muscle, forcing you to twitch or jerk your
feet and legs, you may have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). The symptoms
start mainly at night, after going to bed. The pain, or need to move
the legs, can cause sleep interruption and fatigue which may last for
several days.

RLS is also considered a Sleep Disorder; the condition can be very
intense and cause the loss of sleep, which in turn, contributes to
exhaustion and interferes with your daily activities. RLS may also
interfere with your partner’s ability to sleep. After all, who can
sleep with all that movement going on?

Symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome

RLS can cause pins and needles; tingling; an uncontrollable urge to
move the legs; creepy crawlies; and a pulling or burning sensation.
There seem to be many descriptions, all coming down to the intense need
to move the legs which sometimes gives temporary relief.

RLS can lead to many other complications, mainly stemming from lack of sleep which can affect your immune system.

What causes Restless Leg Syndrome?

RLS is a disorder of the nervous system. Unfortunately, the cause of
RLS is not yet known. It could be a genetic trait, because there is
some evidence that it does run in families. Men and women are both
affected by RLS; however, women are reported to have the condition
slightly more often than men. It normally occurs in people over 50, but
it can also show up in children.

Treatments for Restless Leg Syndrome

While there is no cure at this time, some steps can be taken to help
relieve the symptoms. Only your Doctor can give you an accurate
diagnosis, then you and your Doctor can decide on a plan of treatment
suited to your lifestyle.

Some natural treatments for Restless Leg Syndrome include:

• Limiting caffeine; caffeine is a stimulant affecting the central nervous system (CNS).
• Limiting your alcohol intake, particularly before going to bed. Alcohol also affects the CNS.
• Quit smoking. Having RLS is one more good reason to quit.
• Massage sometimes helps, plus it is relaxing and may help you sleep.
• Hot baths will help relax the nerves, alternating usage of ice
  packs and heating pads for 20 minutes may help increase circulation.

Your doctor may advise the use of certain natural remedies, most
likely minerals such as magnesium, iron and folate. Iron helps produce
energy, magnesium helps nerve transmission, and folate helps in many
functions of the body.

Medications for Restless Leg Syndrome that are currently prescribed
are CNS depressants or pain relievers like Dopaminergics. The only
USFDA approved drug for treatment of RLS is Ropinirole.

Be aware that all prescription and over the counter drugs have side
effects, consult with your physician before use. You will need to take
any medication on a regular basis to achieve the desired results.