What can be done about restless legs?

The most important points in brief

• Restless legs, this is the clinical picture «Restless Legs» translated into German.
• The symptoms: an indeterminate urge to move the legs or a feeling of pressure in the legs.
• There are several possible reasons for this, for example iron deficiency could lead to restless legs - however, restless legs do not necessarily occur.
• What is certain, however, is that restless legs are not an inevitable consequence of another illness.

Restlessness makes life harder. When we say about ourselves that we are restless, in most cases we mean something like nervousness, we then often complain about inadequate and bad sleep or a tense state even during the day. Restless legs are also a kind of nervousness, in any case it is also a neurological disease. Symptoms appear when one is at rest.

The symptoms of restless legs

Women are - relatively speaking - more often affected by restless legs than men. The symptoms typically occur when you are at rest, i.e. lying down - for example at night - or in a sitting position. Often there is a feeling of pressure in the legs, accompanied by an almost irresistible urge to move the legs.

As soon as you start moving, i.e. stand up and walk around a bit, the symptoms usually disappear immediately, or at least they decrease noticeably. During the day, those affected usually have fewer or no symptoms. Why this is so has not yet been finally clarified, nor is the origin of this neuronal disease.

Restless legs: the suspected causes

Nobody knows with absolute certainty where the restless legs come from. So far it is only certain that most patients suffer from iron deficiency or from kidney weakness, for example. Restless legs have also been observed in pregnant women, and the symptoms often persist in the first few weeks after the birth. The complaints almost always subside quickly.

Although it is possible that Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) appears to some extent as a side effect of another disease, restless legs are not necessarily a result of certain diseases. All in all, research here is still a bit in the dark. This is also due to the fact that the characteristics of RLS are quite individual.

What can you do about restless legs?

Unfortunately, there is no magic formula. If you are affected, however, there are a few things to look out for - although not every measure is necessarily successful for you personally. You may have to experiment a little before you discover the solution that works best for you.

However, alcohol and nicotine are the first temptations to resist when suffering from RLS. You should also try to keep regular sleep times, even if this may be a little difficult at the beginning and with symptoms. It is also often helpful to take short periods of rest during work, especially when you are not doing a sedentary job.

A healthy blood circulation is always positive, especially with restless legs. So go for a walk, ride a bike, do some gymnastics, and stretch; Cold showers or foot baths are also useful. Oh yes: enjoying caffeine from lunchtime is not a good idea if you suffer from restless legs.