Restless Legs Syndrome and Recovery Modalities

Why it might help

Sequential pressure may increase venous return and provide repetitive sensory input to the legs; investigators have proposed that these effects may reduce the urge-to-move signal, but the mechanism was not directly tested.

What the research shows

In a prospective randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial of 35 adults with restless legs syndrome, wearing pneumatic compression devices for at least one hour daily before usual symptom onset for one month improved symptom severity, daytime sleepiness, fatigue and most quality-of-life measures more than sham. Emotional well-being did not differ significantly, the sleep-quality result was borderline, and the small single-center finding has not been independently replicated.

Why it might help

Near-infrared light is proposed to affect local microcirculation, nitric-oxide signaling and peripheral sensory signaling in the legs, but the pathway responsible for any RLS symptom change is not established.

What the research shows

In a randomized controlled study of 34 volunteers with restless legs symptoms, twelve 30-minute near-infrared treatments to the lower legs over four weeks produced a greater reduction in International RLS Rating Scale scores than control, and improvement from baseline remained at four-week follow-up. The direction was positive, but the sample was small and larger independent trials are lacking.