Pregnancy increases the risk for the occurrence, or worsening, of restless legs syndrome, says an Italian study in the Sept. 28 issue of Neurology.
The study of 606 women found that at least one in four pregnant women experience the syndrome, a movement disorder characterized by an urge to move the legs, generally accompanied by numbness, tingling or burning sensations.
The women were assessed during pregnancy and six months after the birth of their babies. Of the 606 women in the study, 161 (26.6 percent) reported experiencing the problem during pregnancy. For 101 of the women, it was the first time they had experienced RLS. About 25 percent of the women experienced symptoms at least once a week, and 15 percent at least three times a week.
In general, symptoms appeared or worsened around the sixth month of pregnancy and reached a peak during the seventh and eighth months of pregnancy. Rates of restless leg syndrome among the women dropped dramatically around the time of delivery and affected 5 percent to 6 percent of the women six months after delivery.
"The pregnant women most affected by the [restless leg syndrome] were older, had lower values of iron storage indicators, a higher prevalence of insomnia, and snored more than the unaffected group," researcher Dr. Mauro Manconi said in a prepared statement.
This is the first study to show a significant correlation between low iron indicator values and restless leg syndrome risk.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
1 comment:
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Great Article. This can be a very stressful time in a women’s life. I have dealt with many very similar cases. The hormone relaxin has a role to increase ligament pliability to allow the pelvic the flexibility needed for childbirth. The unfortunate part is that the relaxin also affects the ligaments of the lumbar spine. With the developing child within the mother’s abdomen abnormal stress is applied to the spine which leaves the mothers low back susceptible to misalignments. As stated above I have treated many women successfully while in their 3rd trimester. Google the term “piriformis muscle.” You may be able to relieve the symptoms be stretching this muscle. If your still experiencing this type of discomfort after trying to stretch the piriformis muscle you want to consider a consultation by a chiropractor in your area. You will be so happy you did.
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