Restless legs syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a condition that involves a crawling, tingling feeling in the legs. This is most common at night when an individual is resting, including sleeping, sitting, and lying down.
While there aren’t always answers for why someone experiences RLS, some individuals are affected due to iron deficiencies, being pregnant, suffering chronic kidney failure, and living with neurological problems.
With frequent bouts of RLS affecting sleep, relaxation, emotions, anxiety, and mental health, it’s crucial to do what one can to keep it out of their life. To do this, here are three things you can try out if you are someone who battles with RLS.
#1 – Assess Your Habits
Reducing your intake of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco can decrease RLS frequency. So can reducing intakes of medications like antihistamines, antinausea, antidepressants, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRSs).
Another habit to address is sleep. Ensure you maintain a regular sleep schedule, minimising distractions, light, and noise as best you can.
#2 – Engage in Exercise
Not only can exercise help keep us healthy and mobile, it can also enable regular, efficient neural stimulation. This can then lead to motor unit activation, muscle fibre stimulation, and increased strength and muscle mass.
When it comes to RLS, exercise can diminish symptoms by ensuring adequate activation throughout the nervous system and muscles. This can be achieved via a sound strength training regime, vibration training, activities like stretching and yoga, or even a massage.
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#3 – Pneumatic Compression
Using a pneumatic compression device (PCD) that can be inflated and deflated can diminish or decrease RLS symptoms. This is because PCDs can help improve circulation, leading to an increase in oxygen levels in the limbs. While everyone can respond differently to introducing a PCD into their sleep routine, it can’t hurt to try one out if RLS keeps you awake (and frustrated) at night or when you’re trying to relax.
If you experience RLS, what treatments have helped you? Let us know in the comments below.
This article originally appeared on Neuro Guild.