|
If you get an annoying twitch in your legs after settling down to watch TV, or are driven mad by an urge to keep moving your legs when you're trying to get to sleep, you could have restless legs syndrome. Dr Sarah Brewer explains.
This odd phenomenon is surprisingly common and affects most people at some time in their life. Around one in 20 people experience it on a regular basis.
Restless legs syndrome (or Ekbom's) is associated with an unpleasant creeping sensation in your lower limbs, sometimes accompanied by twitching, pins and needles, burning sensations or even pain, along with an irresistible urge to move your legs. Symptoms tend to occur when you are tired, and typically come on around an hour or so after you settle down to rest. In some severe cases, leg twitching or jumping can even stop you getting off to sleep.
Cause
The exact cause of restless legs is unknown, but is thought to be associated with poor oxygenation of tissues. It is also possible that the sudden movement of the limbs is designed to pump more oxygen-rich blood into tired muscles. Another theory is that restless legs are a symptom of nerve irritation (perhaps due to a build up of metabolic wastes such as lactic acid) linked with fatigue, anxiety, stress and smoking. The condition is common in pregnancy, and in people with diabetes, kidney problems, chronic respiratory illness and stroke - all of which are associated with changes in circulation or metabolism.
Restless legs can be linked with iron deficiency and it is worth asking your doctor to check your levels of ferritin (an iron compound). The regular blood test for haemoglobin levels will not show if your iron levels are borderline - it can only detect a deficiency that is significant enough to cause anaemia.
A doctor may suggest treatment with quinine or calcium and magnesium tablets, if leg cramping occurs, and paracetamol for pain. In people with renal failure, drugs may be prescribed to help combat involuntary leg movements.
Self- help
You can reduce restless legs by:
Having a light snack before going to bed
Avoiding alcohol and caffeine, which may make symptoms worse
Eating more fruit and vegetables per day, since these contain important minerals, including potassium, which play a role in muscle health.
Supplements
A number of supplements are worth trying:
A multivitamin and mineral to help guard against lack of folic acid, B vitamins and iron.
Co-enzyme Q10 encourages oxygen uptake and usage in cells, although it may take several weeks to produce a noticeable effect.
As restless legs are linked to reduced circulation of blood, extracts of ginkgo biloba leaves, and garlic tablets are often recommended to improve blood flow in the legs.
A Tibetan therapy, padma 28, contains a complex mix of 20 Tibetan medicinal herbs, and is thought to promote a healthy circulation through its use of 28 medicinal herbs.
High dose vitamin E helps to stabilise cell membranes and has also been suggested as a treatment, while magnesium supplements are often effective.
Evening primrose and omega-3 oils supply essential fatty acids that help to maintain healthy cell membranes and a healthy circulation.
You could try topical preparations containing horse chestnut gel, which can be gently massaged into your legs - even a body lotion might help if you have nothing else to hand.
It may take a month or two for supplements to show benefits and, in the meantime, acupuncture and magnetic therapy are worth trying. A magnetic field helps to open up circulation through tiny blood vessels and stimulate blood flow.
Although restless legs is not normally thought of as due to a food sensitivity, a few people have found that their restless legs improve when they avoid foods to which they are intolerant. This intolerance, shown by a raised level of IgG antibodies against a particular food, can be checked with an ELISA immune test, which requires a small pinprick sample of blood.
The FoodScan test is available through Lloyds pharmacies, and from Home on Health.
|