Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. The diagnosis is based mainly on your symptoms. There is no test for RLS.

Tests to check for health problems that may trigger RLS are:

Blood tests
Monitoring of leg activity
Sleep studies

Nerves of the Leg

Treatment

There is no cure for RLS. Treatments are aimed at relieving or reducing symptoms.

Treatment for Mild Cases of RLS

Mild cases can be treated with self care:

Massage your legs.
Use a heating pad or ice pack.
Take a hot bath.
Do not use tobacco, alcohol, or caffeine.
Follow a sleep routine.
Begin a safe exercise program with the advice of your doctor.
Avoid the use of medications that may worsen RLS.

Treatment for Problems That May Trigger RLS

Treating problems that may trigger RLS can ease symptoms or make them go away:

Anemia
Diabetes
Neuropathy
Kidney failure
Hypothyroidism

Treatment for Severe Cases of RLS

Medicine

Dopamine agonists are the only drugs that are approved to treat RLS. They are thought to be the most helpful type of medicine for it.

Other medicines may be used to help control symptoms. Some medicines are high blood pressure medicine, antiseizure medicine, and opioids. The medicine you are given will be based on your symptoms and health history.

Prevention

There is no way to prevent RLS.

RESOURCES:

National Sleep Foundation
https://sleepfoundation.org

Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation
http://www.rls.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canadian Sleep Society
http://www.css-scs.ca

Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca

References:

Cui Y, Wang Y, Liu Z. Acupuncture for restless legs syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(4)CD006457.

Explore restless legs syndrome. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed June 18, 2018.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS). EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed... . Updated June 26, 2017. Accessed June 18, 2018.

Restless legs syndrome fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated May 9, 2017. Accessed June 18, 2018.

Salas RE, Gamaldo CE. Update in restless legs syndrome. Curr Opin Neurol. 2010;23(4):401-406.

Understanding RLS. Restless Legs Syndrome Disease Foundation website. Available at: https://www.rls.org/understanding-rls. Accessed June 27, 2013.

Winkelman JW, Armstrong MJ, Allen RP, et al. Practice guideline summary: Treatment of restless leg syndrome in adults: Report of the Guideline, Development, Dissemination, and Implementation Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2016;87(24):2585-93.

11/26/2012 DynaMed Plus Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.dynamed... : Aurora R, Kristo D, Bista S, et al. The treatment of restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder in adults—an update for 2012: Practice parameters with an evidence-based systematic review and meta-analyses: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline. Sleep. 2012;35(8):1039-1062.

Last reviewed May 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Rimas Lukas, MD
Last Updated: 6/18/2018

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