Ten Restless Leg Syndrome Treatments You Should Know 

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Restless leg syndrome treatments can come in all forms, from mainstream drugs prescribed by your doctor, to herbal treatments that target systemic imbalances. Your choice among treatments could be due to the severity of RLS, the frequency with which you get it, or it may be based on medical tests you have undergone. Some people are comfortable with natural remedies for restless legs, while others prefer restless leg medication. Before reviewing some treatments for RLS ask yourself the following questions to determine whether you truly have restless legs syndrome.
• If you are sitting or lying down do you have an almost irresistible urge to move your legs?

Ten Restless Leg Syndrome Treatments You Should Know

 

• Does it feel as though the urge to move your legs, and sometimes the arms, is extremely difficult to resist?
• Have you ever described the sensations in your legs as itching, pulling, tugging, creeping, crawling, or irritable?
• If you move your legs around or stand up and walk about do your legs start to feel better?
• Do the symptoms strike more frequently and with greater intensity at nighttime?
• If you do fall asleep are you woken through involuntary leg movements?
• Do you find it difficult to concentrate or feel fatigued and groggy during the day?
• Have you had family members who have complained of similar symptoms?
• If you visit your doctor because of these symptoms does it seem as though there is nothing wrong and that there is no physical cause for the leg irritability?

Ten Restless Leg Syndrome Treatments You Should Know

Answering yes to most of these questions suggests that you may well have restless leg syndrome. You should be aware that you are not alone in this experience since up to 11% of the United States population suffers from symptoms of restless legs. Although many people have a milder form of RLS, it does affect the lives of millions of people and it can be profoundly disturbing to many of them.
While you are likely to discuss medication options with your doctor be aware that there are other things that you can do that can bring you relief. Let's look at some of the top 9 treatment options you have outside of medication.
1. Cut out medications that you are taking could aggravate symptoms of RLS; these include drugs used to treat high blood pressure, heart conditions, antinausea medications, antihistamines and antidepressants.
2. Be sure your doctor takes a blood test to determine whether you have an iron deficiency or a deficiency of another vital mineral, such as magnesium or potassium.
3. Identify any habits you have that could also make symptoms of RLS worse: this includes smoking, alcohol use, (particularly at nighttime) and caffeine.
4. Ensure that your diet is rich in whole foods and is balanced.
5. Engage in activities that can help relieve symptoms of RLS, including taking a hot or a cold bath, walking daily, yoga or stretching, massages, especially of the legs and lower backs, and acupressure.
6. Stimulate your mind, since this seems to have the beneficial effect of keeping symptoms of RLS away. Some ideas would be engaging in lively discussion, playing video games, or doing needlework or crossword puzzles.
7. Keep good sleep hygiene; this means going to bed at a regular time, rising in the morning at the same time, and keeping the bedroom calm and quiet. Don't spend a lot of time in bed unless you are sleeping.
8. Make sure that you get regular moderate exercise. Try to exercise at least four times a week for 30 minutes at a time.
9. If you are overweight or obese, lose weight, since large-scale studies have determined that there is a greater risk of symptoms of restless leg syndrome in people who are obese.
10. Educate yourself about herbal remedies that could reduce symptoms of RLS.
If you didn't know before this, you can now understand that restless leg syndrome treatments come in many shapes and sizes. If one remedy isn't helpful to you there are others you can attempt. You are bound to find one of the retless leg syndrome treatments that eases your restless legs symptoms eventually.

 

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