Complementary And Alternative Therapies For Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless legs syndrome(RLS)is defined as an irresistible urge to move the legs,which is usually accompanied by paresthesias or dysesthesias,and the symptoms can be partly or totally relieved by physical activity.It has caused a significant negative effects on patients' mood,health and social activities.And affects 2%-4%of adults in Europe and North America.However,no systematic review has been published addressing the effectiveness and safety of non-pharmacological treatment for the relief of RLS symptoms.This review assesses the current complementary and alternative options for RLS and the potential benefits of those treatments on periodic limb movements,sleep quality,mood disorder,and quality of life.A systematic search of the PubMed,Embase,Cochrane,and Web of Science databases was conducted.Selecting RCTs evaluating complementary and alternative therapies for the treatment of primary or secondary RLS.And eighteen studies met the inclusion criterion.Complementary and alternative therapies have been found to be effective in both primary and secondary RLS.For primary RLS,The severity of RLS symptoms can be significantly ameliorated by aerobic exercise training,transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation,pneumatic compression devices,light therapy,repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,and acupuncture.Pneumatic compression devices also can improve patients'sleep quality,and yoga can improve RLS-related poor sleep and mood disorders.Aerobic exercise training is highly efficacious in the reduction of symptom severity in uremic RLS and related effects such as poor quality of life.Endovenous laser ablation of the refluxing superficial axial veins and sclerotherapy of the associated varicosities may be a good choice for patients with concurrent RLS and superficial venous insufficiency.