Massage may help with restless legs syndrome

Massage with olive oil could provide benefits to people with restless legs syndrome, according to a brand new study published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine.

Scientists sought to evaluate the short-term effects of massage with olive oil in reducing the severity of uremic restless legs syndrome (RLS). They conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled trial with 60 participants with RLS, who were divided into olive oil and placebo groups.

Participants in the olive oil group received a massage with olive oil twice a week, while those in the placebo group received a massage with liquid paraffin. Using the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group rating scale, the severity of RLS was evaluated at the beginning of the study and a week after the final treatment.

The decline in total RLS severity was found to be more significant in the olive oil group when compared to the placebo. Therefore, short-term application of massage with olive oil could be effective in reducing RLS severity. However, scientists call for further studies to validate these findings.

Read the study abstract here