GeneralUsing Magnesium as a Treatment for Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological condition marked by a strong urge to move one’s legs. It is also known as Willis-Ekbom disease and causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs – itching, prickling, or pulling – leading to an overwhelming urge to move the legs.

For most sufferers, RLS symptoms are more prevalent when being inactive or trying to sleep. Patients will try to walk, stretch, or shake their legs to achieve relief. Sleep deprivation from RLS can heighten the risk of other health conditions such as depression, heart disease, obesity, general fatigue, and anxiety.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that about 10 percent of Americans suffer from restless legs syndrome. The disease affects people of all ages, though it worsens as people grow old. Also, women are twice as susceptible to suffer from RLS as men. There is currently no cure for RLS. Nevertheless, medications and lifestyle alterations can help patients manage their symptoms.

Symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is usually characterized as moving your legs to gain some relief from an unrelenting urging sensation to move them. Sensations described by sufferers might include:

• burning
• tingling
• itching
• aching
• burning
• throbbing
• crawling
• pulling

These sensations may be painful, depending on the degree of progression. The severity of RLS increases with age. The fact that the condition interferes with sleep can trigger bouts of insomnia and fatigue in some patients.

Symptoms may be periodic or nightly, and sensations may be felt on one or both sides of the body. Some patients report that the sensation alternates between legs.

Causes of Restless Legs Syndrome

For most people, there is no known cause of restless legs syndrome – idiopathic or primary RLS. Unlike primary RLS, secondary RLS is caused by an underlying disorder such as iron deficiency, anemia, peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord injury, or kidney failure.

Imbalances in Dopamine, a neurotransmitter implicated in muscle movement, are also believed to be responsible for RLS in some individuals. Also, pregnant women are at greater risk of developing restless legs syndrome; about 20% of pregnant women experience RLS in their third trimester. The symptoms usually cease at the end of the pregnancy.

Restless legs syndrome is also associated with a condition called Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD). Most RLS patients also suffer from PLMD. This condition is marked by repetitive twitching or flexing of the limbs during sleep. Individuals with PLMD are often unaware of these sensations since they occur while they sleep. Despite that, they can cause people to awaken from sleep, causing a worsening in the quality of sleep in RLS patients.

Restless Legs Syndrome Treatment

Restless legs syndrome is treated with medications, home remedies, and dietary and lifestyle modifications.

Magnesium

Although magnesium supplements are recommended for RLS treatment, their effectiveness is undetermined. According to StuffThatWorks, a platform known for its AI analysis of crowdsourced-generated data, Magnesium did not rank high as a tried treatment by the RLS community, in spite of being ranked as highly effective.

Every human body requires Magnesium to stay healthy at any given point. The importance of this mineral cannot be understated as it aids the nerves, muscles, and immune system in functioning properly. Magnesium also helps in protein formation, blood sugar reduction, and blood pressure stabilization.

Most healthy people have a sufficient amount of Magnesium in the body, which they maintain through a healthy diet. The deficiency of this mineral can cause problems with nerve impulse conduction and muscle cramps.

Some research indicates that magnesium deficiency may be responsible for certain RLS cases. Magnesium deficiency may be caused by poor nutrition, medication use, chronic diseases (kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes), alcohol abuse, pregnancy, and age-related magnesium malabsorption.

Magnesium blocks the action of calcium which causes RLS-like spasms and twitches. Too much calcium in the blood can also affect sleep quality, so maintaining healthy magnesium levels can improve sleep quality.

RLS patients who suspect they are deficient in Magnesium may increase their magnesium intake via their diet or as supplements. The most accurate way of determining magnesium deficiency is by carrying out a simple laboratory test.

People with a magnesium deficiency can increase their magnesium levels by introducing various foods into their diet. Notable mentions include nuts, seeds, brown rice, beans, lentils, fish, dark chocolate, beets, and dark leafy greens. A healthy diet is all an individual requires to maintain sufficient levels of Magnesium.

People who take supplements to increase their magnesium levels should do so under a physician’s supervision. Taking more than the daily recommended dose (310 to 420 mg depending on age and gender) can lead to magnesium toxicity, harming the kidneys.

Other Medication for RLS

Disclaimer: Medication for RLS should be taken only with a doctor’s prescription/supervision.

Drugs That Lead to a Dopamine Increase

Requip and Mirapex are prescribed for mild to severe cases of RLS.

Although these drugs can increase dopamine levels in an individual leading to a relief in symptoms, vomiting and nausea are common side effects.

Drugs That Affect Calcium Channels

Neurontin, Lyrica, and other medications resulting in calcium level changes have also been used to treat RLS.

These drugs are known for their effectiveness in blocking calcium channels and helping blood vessels open up and relax.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are drugs prescribed to manage sleep and anxiety disorders. Their sedative property makes them useful in combination with other medications for RLS.

Other drugs like opioids (codeine, tramadol) are also prescribed in moderate doses for RLS-related pain relief. Muscle relaxants also improve sleep quality in RLS sufferers.

Doctors might prescribe a combination of medications depending on the severity of a case and the patient’s response to medication.

Home Remedies for RLS

With medications recommended to relieve symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome having worrying side effects, we have compiled several home remedies that are easily applicable.

They include:

Creating a Sleep Routine

Having good sleep hygiene means creating a healthy sleep environment and having fixed sleep times. Alcohol, caffeine, and other substances that can inhibit sleep should be cut down on as much as possible.

Regular exercise

A sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor for RLS. Walking, jogging, and other physical activities that do not require much exertion can help individuals with RLS. Reports show that exercise leads to a 40 percent reduction in RLS symptoms.

Performing stretching exercises immediately after waking up and before going to bed can also reduce symptoms. Meditative practices like yoga have also been shown to reduce symptoms.

Pneumatic Pressure Therapy (PPT)

Special compression devices can be used to reduce RLS-related sensations by increasing blood flow to the legs. RLS patients have also reported improvements in symptoms after using this therapy.

Massages and Hot Baths

Massages and hot baths stimulate the legs and relax the muscles. Specially designed foot wraps also put pressure on the legs and alleviate symptoms.

Lifestyle Adjustments

The use of tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and other stimulants that can aggravate symptoms should be reduced or eliminated.

Conclusion

Except for inadequate sleep that can cause daytime drowsiness, increased fatigue, high blood pressure, diminished productivity, and an overall drop in quality of life. RLS typically does not lead to severe complications Identifying the underlying causes of RLS is key to dealing with the symptoms.

In cases where magnesium deficiency is found to be a primary cause, increasing dietary magnesium intake or taking supplements, at the recommendation of a doctor, will significantly alleviate the symptoms.

In cases where magnesium deficiency is not implicated, taking other medications, home remedies, or adopting lifestyle modifications as needed will help manage symptoms and enhance an individual’s quality of life.

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