Restless Leg Syndrome
In many cases of restless legs, the primary type, the deeper cause is not yet known.
In the other cases, called the secondary type, there is a known disease, injury, substance abuse or deficiency of nutrient causing the condition. Deficiency of iron or the vitamin folic acid can cause the syndrome.
A too hard training regime can result in restless legs, and also a too high consume of caffeinated beverages. Smoking can give this syndrome. Injuries or diseases in the nerve channels from the brain to the legs can give such s syndrome. So can also diseases as liver disease, kidney problems and rheumatism.
Use of certain medications, especially antipsychotic drugs and drugs against allergy can give restless legs as symptoms. Having it too cold when one sleeps can aggravate the symptoms.
A primary syndrome of restless legs can of course be aggravated by those other causes. For example can tiredness caused by a primary type give incitement to consume exaggerated amounts of caffeinated drinks, which will aggravate the condition and create a bad circle.
The deeper cause, known or unknown, often causes a deficiency of the transmitter substance dopamine in the brain, or the dopamine does not transmit nerve signals efficiently. This deficiency will often be the immediate cause of the symptoms.
If one has symptoms indicating other diseases than just the restless legs, these should be investigated and ailments found then treated. Then also the problem of restless legs may disappear or lessen.
If one takes daily medicines, one should seek advise about reduction or alternation of the medication.
The room one sits or sleeps in should be pleasantly warm.
A high daily consume of caffeine should be reduced to moderate levels, and one should cease smoking, or at least reduce the habit radically.
Replacing a hard training program with a less strenuous one can often alleviate and sometimes even cure the ailment.
Some moderate strength or condition training combined with stretching in the evening may alleviate the symptoms in some cases.
One should check the iron level in the blood, and if to law take a supply of iron some time, and more permanently eat more food with a high iron content.
Also one should take a supplement of folic acid or consume more food containing this vitamin. One should also provide that one gets enough of other vitamins in the B-group and of the mineral magnesium since these substances are needed for production of transmitter substances. You should also get enough calcium since this mineral is important for correct muscle response.
Medical herbs that may help are those that help to relax tension and give better sleep, for example milky oats, gotu kola, ashwaganda, passion flower, cava and valerian. You can also find herbal drugs on the market especially designed to treat restless legs, composed of a blending of the mentioned vitamins, minerals and herbs, and also of others.
If such simple measures as those above do not help, one should seek professional assistance.
The condition can be alleviated by medication that increases the level of dopamine in the nervous system. Those are the same preparations that is used to treat Parkinson’s disease, but taken in much lower doses. Relaxing pharmacological drugs can also help. But all these drugs have side effects and possible risk for dependence, so they should be the last option onto.
