With almost 15% of the population across the country suffering from restless leg syndrome it’s no wonder people are looking for relief from their symptoms in any form.
Recently, essential oils have become popular to help as an alternative to many conditions and disorders. Some essential oils can help with calming and relaxation, or to help people fall asleep at night when they’re having difficulty with that.
So, can essential oils help with restless leg syndrome? And, if they can, which ones are the best to help relieve the symptoms?
In order to explain this, first it’s important to understand what essential oils are and how they work.
What are essential oils?
This product is extracted from various plants to produce a liquid that gives you the essential qualities of that plant.
The most commonly used essential oils are jasmine, chamomile, peppermint and rosemary as they are said to help reduce muscle pains and spasms. They also have a very calming effect psychologically on a person, and that can help those with restless leg syndrome to settle at night and help them fall asleep.
Essential oils and restless leg syndrome
Restless leg syndrome has been attributed to a few different medical conditions, including kidney issues, iron deficiency and even Parkinson’s disease.
These medical conditions are serious and do require doctors to monitor them, however essential oils can help to alleviate some of the symptoms people with these conditions are experiencing – including restless legs at night so they can get some sleep.
For those people who have varicose veins and then have restless legs as a by-product of that, treating the condition of the varicose veins can help people suffering to get a restful nights sleep.
There have been numerous people with restless leg syndrome report an impressive improvement in the symptoms they’re experiencing. In fact, there has been medical showing that massaging with and using essential oils has been shown to really combat the symptoms and side effects of restless leg syndrome.
Massages and essential oils
Massages are a very effective way to help relieve the tension and stress in legs when you’re experiencing symptoms of restless legs.
Some people, when massaging their legs, will incorporate different essential oils into their massage.
The various properties of different essential oils can really help to provide more relaxation and relieve any tension. It’s important to make sure whatever essential oils you use are safe to use directly on the skin, and you may even want to test a small sample area to make sure you don’t have any kind of reaction to it before using it everywhere.
It’s not a cure, though
Anyone with restless leg syndrome can tell you that there really isn’t a cure – yet – to living with this condition. No matter what treatments someone tries, they will never be cured of this disease.
Essential oils are not harmful to those who have restless leg syndrome – except for those who may have an allergy – but they are incredibly helpful in combatting the symptoms people with this condition experience.
This kind of treatment is what’s known as a topical treatment, which means that it is not going to work against the underlying reasons this condition is happening and it’s only relieving your symptoms.
If you have varicose veins, for example, there are other underlying things causing this to happen and you will need to schedule appointments with your doctor to find the appropriate treatment for this condition.
To summarize, essential oils are helpful in treating your immediate symptoms but they are not a long-term solution for dealing and living with restless leg syndrome.
Essential oils and other medications
Like anything else, before you start using essential oils as part of your treatment plan for restless leg syndrome you will want to make sure they are safe for you to use.
Have a quick discussion with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure that these particular essential oils are not going to interfere with any other medications you’re taking for any conditions you may have.
The best essential oils to use to relieve restless legs
There are so many different essential oils available to use, and each one of them has properties that can help us with different conditions.
When it comes to restless legs, though, there are some essential oils that are better than others and will give you more relief for the symptoms you’re experiencing.
Peppermint
The aroma of peppermint, on its own, is generally pretty soothing for most people. Peppermint has been known to help relieve muscle pain and our aching joints.
Additionally, it has a cooling effect along with analgesic properties. It’s very refreshing and uplifting, so if your legs are feeling tried and achy it can really help to ease these feelings.
Lavender
This essential oil is already known for its therapeutic properties, and is commonly used as an anti-inflammatory.
On top of that, it has been shown to calming effect on the mind and sooth the body. This means it can help to get rid of the stress and tension you’re feeling, and that can contribute to the symptoms of restless legs.
You can even put a few drops of lavender into a hot bath to help you relax before you go to bed.
Marjoram
Using this essential oil can actually help to ease muscle spasms, if that is a symptom of restless legs that you experience. In fact, this essential oil is often used to manage the pain people with arthritis experience.
It can be massaged into your legs, if you want, or used in a hot relaxing bath as well.
Vetiver
This essential oil has been known to help with restless legs in particular for its calming and sedative properties. It also can stimulate your circulation, and better blood flow can provide relief for those people living with restless leg syndrome.
Roman Chamomile
When using this essential oil, you’re likely to get a good night sleep because of its relaxing properties. It also has sedative properties which can help to give you some relief from the pain as well.
It can reduce any inflammation you’re experiencing, and for that reason you can massage it directly into the area of your legs where the pain is the worst.
Ginger
It might not seem like this is an obvious choice for helping with the symptoms of restless legs, but its properties are very helpful when it comes to relieving muscle pains.
Additionally, this essential oil is a natural warming oil which means it will promote blood flow and circulation to the area. Increased blood flow is very helpful for relieving the pain felt.
Other treatments for restless leg syndrome
There are a variety of other treatment options that do not involve a prescription medication. More and more natural remedies that people are trying to help them get the relief they are looking for.
Weighted blankets
This kind of blanket has been used for many other conditions – like sleep disorders and people suffering from anxiety. The weight of the blanket creates pressure on the body, and that causes a release of serotonin in the body to give us relief.
You can get weighted blankets in different weights, depending on what you feel the most comfortable with. You may want to try a lighter blanket at first just to see how you feel about it, and then increase the weight as you need to or want to.
Compression socks
This kind of sock has the same effect as the weighted blanket, but applying pressure to the legs and enhancing circulation. With these, though, you can wear them as you’re going about your day without needing to be under a blanket.
There are different levels of compression for these as well. If you only have mild symptoms of restless legs, you might need only the lowest level of compression to give you relief. For people who have more severe symptoms, or have underlying conditions, they might need more compression to get pain relief.
Avoiding alcohol
As soon as someone is diagnosed with restless leg syndrome, their doctor will probably tell them to avoid or severely limit the amount of alcohol they consume.
Alcohol can make restless leg symptoms worse. It can make your legs twitch or exacerbate the muscle aches and pains.
For some people, they may be able to have a drink very occasionally and not have any issues whereas other people might have to never drink again. It’s a very individual solution, and it will be up to each person to determine what works best for you.
Final thoughts
Essential oils are a fantastic alternative to prescription medications for many things – including relaxation and destressing. For many people with restless legs, they have found massaging essential oils into their legs or putting a few drops in a hot bath has really helped.
Of course you will want to make sure that any essential oil you use is safe to use with any other medication you may be taking, and you will want to test a small area first to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction to using it.
