Taking steps to calm restless legs syndrome

Nursing, Sep 1999 by Sorrell, Jeanne

How you can help

Other health care providers may have dismissed your patient's symptoms or convinced her that they were "all in her head." So first reassure her that RLS is a real medical condition and that there are treatments she can try.

To help her get the rest she needs, suggest strategies such as using a heating pad or ice packs. She might also try to make a few short periods of moderate exercise, such as walking, part of her daily routine. Advise her to avoid prolonged sitting and to limit use of beverages with caffeine and alcohol.

Researchers aren't sure why, but symptoms are commonly not as bad during the day. So don't discourage daytime napping; that may be her best chance for some unbroken sleep. Most people with RLS do best when they're allowed to sleep whenever they can. And if your patient is hospitalized, keep her bed rails down and don't restrain her unless some other condition justifies it.

If the patient has started drug therapy, teach her to recognize possible adverse reactions and signs of drug tolerance and make sure she knows when she should contact her health care provider.

Finally, inform your patient's family about her condition and its potentially serious consequences, including severe depression. Warn them to watch for signs that your patient isn't coping well and to seek more help if necessary.

Learn more au RLS by visiting these Web sites (and tell your patient about them too):

* the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation's support site at http://www.rls.org

* the American Sleep Disorders Association homepage at http://www.asda.org

*the National Sleep Foundation Home Page at http://www.sleepfoundation.org

* the Sleep Medicine Home Page at http://www.cloud9.net/~thorpy

* the Sleep Home Pages: Brain Information Service at http://bisleep.medsch.ucla.edu.

Last accessed on July 27,1999.

SELECTED REFERENCE

Staab, A., et al.: Essentials in Gerontological Nursing: Adaptation to the Aging Process. Philadelphia, Pa., Lippincott-Raven Publishers, 1996.

BY JEANNE SORRELL, RN, PhD

Professor of Nursing George Mason University Fairfax, Va.