If you have restless legs syndrome, you know it can make life a misery. While the disorder isn’t fatal on its own, it can cause severe mental health complications. It can also impact your physical well-being and safety.
Many doctors recommend combining wholistic therapies with mainstream Western medical treatments for a host of conditions. Aromatherapy is one such natural remedy that comes with relatively few risks. If you have restless legs syndrome, this ancient practice may offer you considerable relief.
What causes restless legs syndrome?
Restless legs syndrome also goes by the name of Willis-Ekbom disease. It’s characterized by unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities that prompt you to move, and this movement temporarily decreases the uncomfortable feelings.
This condition may develop at any age, but it often increases in severity as a person grows older. It tends to worsen later in the day, and with periods of prolonged inactivity.
What does it feel like? Many patients struggle to describe the sensation. Some words they use include crawling, creeping, pulling, throbbing and aching. The feeling isn’t necessarily painful, but the compulsion to move your legs can grow overwhelming.
Researchers remain unsure what causes restless legs syndrome, although they believe an imbalance in the brain chemical known as dopamine plays a role. Risk factors include the following:
Heredity: Restless legs syndrome tends to run in families, especially if it begins before age 40.
Pregnancy: Hormonal changes can worsen symptoms or produce them for the first time, particularly in the third trimester.
Peripheral neuropathy: If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, nerve damage can create the sensations.
Iron deficiency: If you’re anemic, you run a higher risk of developing the syndrome. Pay attention to your nails—people with anemia often develop deep ridges. You may also struggle with this condition if you’re experiencing kidney failure.
Spinal cord damage: Damage to the spinal cord during surgery, or lesions, such as those from MS, can spur symptoms.
Because restless legs syndrome can interfere with your sleep patterns, it puts you at an increased risk for accidents. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that as many as 6,000 fatal crashes occur annually as a result of drowsy driving.
A lack of sleep also interferes with your ability to focus and impacts your mood, which can adversely affect your career and personal relationships.
How do essential oils produce medicinal effects?
Essential oils create medicinal effects in several ways. One popular method you can use is a topical application via a compress or massage oils. These put the healing medicine in direct contact with your skin, where it’s absorbed through your dermis.
To make a compress with essential oils, mix five drops of oil with a litre of water. Then, soak a cloth in the solution and apply it directly to the area you want to treat. If you wish, you can tie the compress in place to let the medicine be absorbed over time. Don’t wrap it so tightly that you cut off your circulation, though.
To make massage oil, you’ll need a carrier oil base, such as argon or coconut oil. Mix 30 drops of your chosen essential oil with the carrier and massage it into your legs. If you have a significant other, you can ask them to do it for you—of course, it helps if you return the favour!
Finally, you can inhale essential oils by mixing them with water in a diffuser. The aroma travels to the brain, where it activates the limbic system, a part associated with behavior and memory, as well as several physiological functions. Practitioners believe that your mind then instructs your body to act in specific ways, such as by boosting its immune function.
8 suggested oils and their uses in treatment
If you’re interested in trying essential oils to treat your restless legs syndrome, you probably have many questions about which varieties to use.
You can take advantage of the eight suggestions below, but you should keep in mind that each one won’t work the same way for everybody, so you may have to exercise trial and error to find the most effective blend for you.
Helichrysum
This plant gets its name from the Latin word for “everlasting,” so you know it has to have beneficial health effects! The oil is effective in regard to treating various types of infection, including malaria. Additionally, it counteracts the effects of burnout and exhaustion, two conditions that restless leg sufferers often experience. You can use it in a diffuser or as part of a compress, or massage it into your skin.
Lemongrass
You should never use essential oils internally, as they’re far too concentrated and can have adverse health effects if you use them that way. However, lemongrass is an herb that you can add to teas and use topically. You can also use lemongrass to season your stir-frys and curry pastes.
Like the name implies, the oil has an uplifting citrusy scent, making it ideal for use in a workplace diffuser. Aside from calming your anxious legs, the aroma may also bolster your focus and your ability to concentrate.
Chamomile
Chamomile enjoys wide renown among herbalists for its mild calming properties. This herb—and essential oil—can significantly reduce the mental anxiety that restless legs syndrome produces, as well as the physiological effects. Try making a compress of chamomile essential oil to apply to your legs, and then sit back and enjoy a cup of tea while it works its magic. You’ll feel more relaxed, both physically and mentally.
Lavender
Lavender is another terrific calming herb, and it can also help you catch your Zzzs. If restless legs keep you tossing and turning, try spraying some lavender essential oil on your pillow. You might also apply a diluted form of the spray to a pair of compression socks to wear while you sleep. If you can’t sleep with your feet covered, try rocking a pair of leg warmers. Yes, you’ll look a bit like Jennifer Beals in the old movie Flashdance, but you’ll sleep more soundly.
Arnica
Arnica heals the aches that continual motion can create in your extremities. If you ask someone you love to mix you up a batch of homemade arnica massage oil and rub it in, you’re in for a treat. You can also infuse homemade bath bombs with the oil and use them to soak away both fibromyalgia and arthritis pain, as well as general aches within your restless legs.
Valerian
Valerian can relax your muscles and help you sleep, but it builds up in your system over time. If you decide to use this oil, mix it with a carrier so you can rub it into your legs once or twice per day for several weeks. Over time, you should notice that your symptoms start to decrease. If sleeplessness plagues you, adding the tea to your nightly routine has also proven to be helpful for many.
Marjoram
Marjoram can work effectively on its own, or in a blend with other oils. Sometimes, combining oils causes one substance to work as a catalyst in ways that scientists haven’t yet thoroughly analyzed. To test this out, you can try combining marjoram essential oil with some of the others on this list and see if it amplifies the therapeutic effects. You can also whip up a specialized blend that’s able to do double-duty by treating arthritis, too.
Sandalwood
Sandalwood has a light, neutral scent, making it an ideal oil to use as a massage blend if you plan on heading to the office or any public place. The barely detectable fragrance won’t offend the sensitive noses of others. It’ll also deodorize your home without overwhelming you with chemicals, as scented candles often do. Try adding a few drops to your diffuser to eradicate pet smells and other unpleasant odours.
Which oil will you choose?
Regardless of which type you choose, using essential oils is a fabulous way to wholistically treat restless legs syndrome. Give one of the oils above a try, or create your own unique blend, to ease your symptoms today.
Medical disclaimer: This page is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as medical advice. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by physicians. Please refer to the full text of our medical disclaimer.
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