Restless Leg Syndrome Symptoms, Treatments And Effective Home Remedies

The restless leg syndrome, also known as the Ekbom syndrome, is a neurological ailment that causes an uncomfortable tingling, burning sensation in the legs when they are not in motion and makes one feel the urge to move the legs constantly. The patient may also feel a tugging, crawling or throbbing pain in the legs, which may become more and more severe in the late hours of the day. This may lead to difficulty in sleep and make the person insomniac. It is believed that the syndrome results from an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain cells caused by nutritional deficiencies, which causes abnormal nervous signals to be sent to the legs.

The factors that predispose a person to this syndrome are excessive smoking and consumption of caffeine based products, obesity, pregnancy and anemia.

Home Treatments For Restless Legs

There are a few simple remedies that you may follow at home to reduce the intensity of the symptoms. Taking a short, brisk walk every night after dinner helps prevent leg pain and discomfort during sleep. You may also do a few basic leg exercises like knee bends on a regular basis in order to improve blood circulation in the legs and treat the restless leg syndrome. Gentle leg massages at bedtime may also be of help. Using aromatic oils for the massage and focusing on the calf muscles and the shins make the treatment more effective.

You may also soak your legs in cold water for 10 minutes just before you go to bed in order to soothe the nerves. Taking a warm bath before going to bed also helps in relaxing the muscles and nerves of the legs. It may also be beneficial to use warm compresses during the night if the pain becomes too uncomfortable. Avoid sitting or standing in the same position for too long as this creates undue pressure on the legs and may intensify the symptoms. Also, experiment with various sleeping positions to see if the symptoms become less pronounced as a consequence.

In addition, try and reduce the level of physical and mental stress that you undergo, as these contribute to make the condition worse. Consuming multi-vitamin, iron and calcium supplements may also be recommended for treating this problem. Avoid exposure to extremes of temperature as this can aggravate the condition. Some people also report that drinking a small amount of grape wine after dinner helps relieve the symptoms.