Use of Soap in Treating Restless Leg Syndrome

There are many alternative health remedies on the market today. Some are dangerous, others just too expensive. The use of a bar of soap as a treatment for restless leg syndrome is one of those home remedies that have no negative side effects and can be tried for very little money.

Condition

• If you feel you have to move your legs constantly, you may have restless leg syndrome. Many people describe a feeling of creeping or crawling in the lower legs. The only way sufferers can get any relief from this feeling is to move their legs around. Symptoms usually begin in the evening and continue through most of the night. Often this results in a significant loss of sleep, leading to extreme fatigue.
  The cause of restless leg syndrome is not completely understood. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic think the symptoms are caused by an imbalance of the brain chemical dopamine. There is, however, no definitive treatment for the symptoms of restless leg syndrome. Many of the recommended treatments involve lifestyle changes. Sufferers are told to take warm baths in the evening, exercise and avoid caffeine. For extreme cases, medications can be prescribed, but often they have extreme side effects. The fact that sufferers of restless leg syndrome cannot get much relief from their symptoms leads them to try alternative remedies.

Remedy

• Rumors that soap helps restless leg syndrome have been around for years. There is no documentation on how or where this treatment was first tried, but there are true believers everywhere. Joe and Terry Graedon of The People's Pharmacy often get letters that tout the benefits of using a bar of soap to calm the symptoms of restless leg syndrome. The Graedons do not discount the accounts by readers, but say this is one home remedy that mystifies them.
  The treatment is simple. Any type of bar soap will do. Just unwrap the soap and place it at the foot of the bed, under the bottom sheet. Before you go to sleep, make sure the soap stays near your feet while you sleep. That is it. You may want to place the soap in some type of sock or nylon, but this is not necessary. Even the cheapest varieties of soap seem to offer relief. The bars of soap that you get at a hotel are perfect, because of their small size. If your symptoms are severe, try putting a sliver of the soap in each sock so that it is touching your foot. You may need to change the soap after a few months, as it seems to lose its effectiveness after awhile. There are no known side effects of this treatment, so there is minimal risk in trying this home remedy.