Nondrug-related aspect of treating Ekbom disease, formerly known as restless legs syndrome
- PMID: 21654870
- PMCID: PMC3101885
- DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S19177
Nondrug-related aspect of treating Ekbom disease, formerly known as restless legs syndrome
Abstract
Ekbom disease (EKD), formerly known as restless legs syndrome (RLS) has affected and bothered many people over the centuries. It is one of the most prevalent neurological disorders in Europe and North-America, affecting about 10% of the population. The main characteristics are the strong urge to move, accompanied or caused by uncomfortable, sometimes even distressing, paresthesia of the legs, described as a "creeping, tugging, pulling" feeling. The symptoms often become worse as the day progresses, leading to sleep disturbances or sleep deprivation, which leads to decreased alertness and daytime functions. Numerous studies have been conducted assessing the efficacy of dopaminergic drugs, opioids, and other pharmacologic agents in alleviating EKD symptoms. However, there is also a growing body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of nonpharmacologic treatments including life style changes, physical activity programs, pneumatic compression, massage, near-infrared light therapy, and complementary therapies. The working mechanisms behind these alternatives are diverse. Some increase blood flow to the legs, therefore reducing tissue hypoxia; some introduce an afferent counter stimulus to the cortex and with that "close the gate" for aberrant nerve stimulations; some increase dopamine and nitric oxide and therefore augment bio-available neurotransmitters; and some generate endorphins producing an analgesic effect. The advantages of these treatments compared with pharmacologic agents include less or no side effects, no danger of augmentation, and less cost.
Keywords: NIR; RLS; intermittent compression; massage; modalities.
Figures
Similar articles
-
The long-term treatment of restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease: evidence-based guidelines and clinical consensus best practice guidance: a report from the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group.Sleep Med. 2013 Jul;14(7):675-84. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2013.05.016. Sleep Med. 2013. PMID: 23859128
-
Treatment Options in Intractable Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease (RLS/WED).Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2016 Feb;18(2):7. doi: 10.1007/s11940-015-0390-1. Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2016. PMID: 26874840
-
Pharmacologic Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome.Curr Neuropharmacol. 2021;19(3):372-382. doi: 10.2174/1570159X19666201230150127. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2021. PMID: 33380302 Free PMC article. Review.
-
A clinical primer on restless legs syndrome: what we know, and what we don't know.Am J Manag Care. 2012 Aug;18(5 Suppl):S83-8. Am J Manag Care. 2012. PMID: 23009275 Review.
-
An update on the treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease: prospects and challenges.Expert Rev Neurother. 2018 Sep;18(9):705-713. doi: 10.1080/14737175.2018.1510773. Epub 2018 Aug 22. Expert Rev Neurother. 2018. PMID: 30095315 Review.
Cited by
-
Restless Legs Syndrome and the Use of Antipsychotic Medication: An Updated Literature Review.Cureus. 2022 Aug 9;14(8):e27821. doi: 10.7759/cureus.27821. eCollection 2022 Aug. Cureus. 2022. PMID: 36134065 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Acupressure reduces the severity of restless legs syndrome in hemodialysis patients: A cluster-randomized crossover pilot study.Biomed J. 2022 Jun;45(3):533-541. doi: 10.1016/j.bj.2021.05.005. Epub 2021 May 21. Biomed J. 2022. PMID: 35835685 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
-
Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Massage for the Treatment of Restless Leg Syndrome in Hemodialysis Patients: A Meta-Analysis of 5 Randomized Controlled Trials.Front Psychiatry. 2022 Apr 11;13:843263. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.843263. eCollection 2022. Front Psychiatry. 2022. PMID: 35479488 Free PMC article.
-
Aromatherapy Massage vs. Foot Reflexology on the Severity of Restless Legs Syndrome in Female Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis.Geriatrics (Basel). 2021 Oct 11;6(4):99. doi: 10.3390/geriatrics6040099. Geriatrics (Basel). 2021. PMID: 34698176 Free PMC article.
-
Effectiveness and safety of massage in the treatment of restless legs syndrome: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Nov 25;99(48):e23239. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000023239. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020. PMID: 33235081 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Ekbom K. Restless legs syndrome. Neurology. 1960;10:868–873. - PubMed
-
- Coccagna G, Vetrugno R, Lombardi C, Provini F. Restless legs syndrome: an historical note. Sleep Med. 2004;5:279–283. - PubMed
-
- Benes H. Was gibt es Neues zum Restless-legs-Syndrom? Psychoneuro. 2004;30(8):438–443.
-
- Berger K, Luedemann J, Trenkwalder C, John U, Kessler C. Sex and the risk of restless legs syndrome in the general population. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:196–202. - PubMed
-
- Kushida C, Allen R, Atkinson M. Modeling the causal relationship between symptoms associated with restless legs syndrome and the patient-reported impact of RLS. Sleep Med. 2004;5:485–488. - PubMed
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Miscellaneous