Restless legs syndrome: using cold to combat restless legs

Nights without sleep, restless wandering instead because your legs hurt. Patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) know this: It feels like "ants under the skin". The condition is unpleasant and painful and often pushes sufferers to their nervous limits. Around 10 percent of Germans suffer from restless legs syndrome. What helps? We'll tell you!

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via Anna-Lisa
09/20/2016, 11:38
Was hilft beim Restless-Legs-Syndrom?© fotolia
Cold helps with restless legs syndrome

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RLS is a nervous disorder that is genetically determined or the result of a disease such as Park inson's disease. Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine can make the unpleasant syndrome worse.

Restless legs syndrome: what helps?

Stretching exercises and massages can help to alleviate the feeling of constantly having to move your restless legs, as can medication. Researchers at Bremen East Hospital found that cold treatment works best. In local cryotherapy (Greek for cold), the legs are treated with cold air at minus 17 degrees for three minutes a day in around ten applications. This helps, but the symptoms return at the end of the therapy. With a full body treatment, the effect lasts for several weeks. This involves going into a cold chamber at minus 60 degrees for three minutes. There are hardly any side effects.

The costs of whole-body therapy are not covered by most health insurance companies. However, an individual application for cost coverage may be successful.