Are you familiar with Willis-Ekbom disease?
I imagine that this name does not speak to you too much.
What if I tell you it's Restless Leg Syndrome , you still do not see?
However, it affects about 8% of the French population and is manifested by an irresistible urge to move your legs.
It is true that this condition is not well known.
Even medicine is not very clear on the subject. That's to say...
But then, are there really solutions to treat this little-known disease that prevents you from sleeping?
The answer is yes ! And in addition, with natural treatments.
Discover 8 Miracle Grandma's Remedies to Quickly Relieve Restless Leg Disease:
Symptoms of restless leg disease are a bit strange.
Indeed, they do not necessarily manifest themselves in pain.
It's more a feeling of nervousness, tension and tingling in the legs.
This tingling is felt mainly in the calves.
It gives uncontrolled movements and a desire to move your legs all the time.
The disorders occur especially during periods of rest in the evening and at night.
So if your spouse tells you that you danced all night under the sheets, that might be it!
More seriously, these neurological disorders are not to be taken lightly.
If they manifest themselves chronically, they can frankly ruin your life.
Why ? Because restless leg disease keeps you awake!
Result, you can chain the nights with beautiful insomnia!
It's not just a form of impatience (as some doctors say), but a deeper evil!
Now let's see together 10 effective remedies to relieve restless legs:
As surprising as it may seem, the use of Marseille soap is effective against restless legs.
It's just a matter of taking Marseille soap and doing this.
Either place the bar of soap in the fitted sheet at the bottom of the foot of the bed.
Either put the soap in a sock and slide it all into the sheets.
What is this story, will you tell me?
Well, know that Marseille soap is rich in potassium chloride.
This potassium chloride is inhaled throughout the night and penetrates our skin which significantly alleviates the symptoms.
Result:you move your legs less in an uncontrolled way and find a peaceful sleep.
Hot or cold compresses are usually used to relieve scratches, contortions, etc.
Well, they are also very useful when it comes to treating the symptoms of restless legs.
Indeed, by placing them on the legs, they create a new sensation that the brain must process.
The brain is then no longer exclusively focused on the symptoms of the disease.
This reduces the uncomfortable feeling produced by restless legs.
You can buy these compresses in stores, but you can also make them yourself.
Simply take a cloth and soak it in cold or lukewarm water.
Finally, in the same vein, some studies have shown that taking a hot or cold bath before going to bed also has benefits.
Like calcium, this mineral is essential for healthy bones and muscles.
It is therefore used to relieve restless legs, because it is a natural muscle relaxant.
It decreases the uncontrolled movements of the legs during the night.
Prefer to take magnesium separately rather than diluted in other solutions, such as multivitamins.
Magnesium can cause side effects (diarrhoea...), so it's best to start with fairly low doses.
200 to 400 mg per day are sufficient when starting treatment.
If you don't see any problems appearing, then you can increase the doses up to 1000mg.
Conversely, in case of significant side effects, know that magnesium glycinate seems to have fewer side effects.
A weighted blanket provides permanent, moderate counter-stimulation to the sensation of restless legs.
Indeed, some studies indicate that there is a correlation between restless leg disease and anxiety.
So if these accessories cure anxiety, it's because they can also relieve restless legs.
A weighted blanket helps reduce the tingling sensation.
Although the reasons are not yet fully defined, it is known that certain foods promote this disease.
So avoid or even stop taking coffee, caffeine, alcohol or tobacco before going to bed.
Dairy products and foods high in sugar have also been observed to trigger the symptoms.
Good sleep habits are good for everyone.
But it is especially important in people with restless legs disease.
Sleeping does not resolve the condition, but it helps compensate for the loss of sleep.
Try the following tips to make your sleep as restful and restorative as possible.
- Fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day
- Keep your sleeping place cool, quiet and dark
- Minimize distractions, such as TV and telephone, in your bedroom
- Avoid electronic screens for 2 or 3 hours before going to bed.
This helps maintain a natural sleep cycle, as blue light from screens disrupts your circadian rhythm.
Yoga and stretching are 2 effective physical exercises to relieve restless legs.
An 8-week study in women found that yoga reduced symptoms.
It also helped improve their mood and reduce their stress levels; so in the end, to sleep better.
Finally, another study showed that stretching exercises significantly improved symptoms.
When your legs tingle, throb, or hurt, the brain only focuses on that ailment.
It's hard to get him out of that feeling.
We must therefore break this cycle and replace the desire to move with another feeling.
Any type of counter-stimulation, such as light stretching before bed also helps relieve pain.
Physical activity, even minimal, is also one of the solutions to make you feel better.
Aerobic exercises on the lower limbs, 3 days a week, are recommended.
Studies show that these exercises significantly reduce the symptoms of restless legs.
But don't train so hard that you get sore, as this can make the condition worse. But move!
Massaging your leg muscles helps relieve the symptoms of restless legs.
Many health organizations therefore suggest using this method, even at home (see 1 and 2).
A 35-year-old woman did 45-minute leg massages twice a week for 3 weeks.
This improved the condition of restless legs throughout this period.
These massages included several techniques, including Swedish massage or direct calf massage.
Realize, the symptoms are reduced after 2 massages!
Best of all, they only started coming back 2 weeks after the massage process was completed.
This study indicates that massage releases dopamine and greatly improves circulation (CF 3 and 4).
As a bonus, massages help with relaxation which helps you sleep better.
Be aware that certain medications can make restless legs symptoms worse.
This is particularly the case for the following drugs:
- Older antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- Anti-nausea medications such as metoclopramide (Reglan) or prochlorperazine (Compro)
- Antipsychotic medications such as haloperidol (Haldol) or olanzapine (Zyprexa)
- Lithium (lithobid)
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors:Fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft) or escitalopram (Lexapro)
- Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitryptiline (Elavil) or amoxapine (Asendin)
- Tramadol (Ultram)
- Levothyroxine (Levoxyl)
So if you are taking these medications, consult your doctor to find out if you can change the doses.
It seems that a drug treatment is however consensus.
As soon as the disease takes a severe form, drugs are prescribed that simulate the supply of dopamine .
They are called dopaminergic agonists.
They increase the release of dopamine in the brain.
But long-term use of this drug may make symptoms worse .
To delay the problem, doctors prescribe the lowest possible doses.
Also, this medication may become less effective over time.
To counter this phenomenon, doctors then combine this drug with others.
Studies carried out on this disease show that an iron deficiency can be at the origin of the problem.
Without giving you a science lesson, if certain regions of the brain rich in dopaminergic neurons are anemic...
...This is when Restless Leg Syndrome can appear.
So there is a very close link between dopamine and lack of iron.
If you're low on iron and the dopaminergic part of the brain is overworked, bingo.
You have the chance (or rather the bad luck) to feel the effects of this disease.
As our body produces less iron at the end of the day compared to the morning, problems occur especially in the evening.
An accurate diagnosis of your iron level is therefore to be made in the very first place.
It is also particularly indicated for blood donors.
Treating anemia well means giving yourself every chance to feel better if you suffer from this condition.
But the causes of the disease are much broader.
They can range from pregnancy to kidney failure or even be genetic!
Finally, taking certain medications for anxiety (neuroleptics) and depression (antidepressants) increases the risk of suffering from this disease.
