Commentary on the Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a common disorder. In its mild, intermittent form it can affect up to 15% of the general population. Approximately 3% may develop clinically significant disease affecting daytime functioning and sleep. RLS is more frequent in women and during pregnancy. It can affect children and the elderly. These special populations are rarely if at all included or reported in studies looking at the effects of medications. Patients with intermittent RLS are also seldom recruited for these studies. Patients with moderate and severe disease may develop side effects from medications that affect further treatment. Thus, for a large number of patients medications are not the first or only line of treatment. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate non-pharmacologic options for the treatment of RLS [1].