Methods of Controlling Restless Legs Syndrome in Diabetic Patients:A Scoping Review Study

‘Restless Legs Syndrome’ is a sensory-motor disorder manifested by a tendency to move legs, usually accompanied by discomfort in the legs. Studies have shown that diabetics are more at risk for Restless Legs Syndrome than the general population. Therefore, a review study was designed to determine the methods of controlling restless legs syndrome in patients with diabetes.

This study was a scoping review. To find document related to the ‘Methods of Controlling Restless Legs Syndrome pharmacological in Diabetic Patients’, the English/Persian article were searched in data bases such as, Pub Med, MagIran, SID, Clinical key, Web of science, Nopa system
and Google scholars search engine from 2015 to 2020.The Prisma checklist was used to select articles and evaluate the quality of articles.

Methods of controlling restless legs syndrome in diabetic patients were divided into two categories: pharmacological control and non- pharmacological control. Pharmacological controls include dopaminergic agonists and alpha-2-delta ligands, opioids and iron supplements,
and medications used to manage RLS and diabetes-related complications include bromocriptine, clonidine, and gabapentin. Non- pharmacological controls include diet change recommendations, stress management, massage, cold and heat therapy, whirlpool baths, relaxation techniques, yoga, aromatherapy and lifestyle modification, physiotherapy and magnetic or electrical stimulation techniques, exercise and pneumatic compression devices are of interest to patients and physicians.

A review of studies showed that some pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods discussed in this study are effective in controlling ‘Restless Legs Syndrome’ in diabetic patients. Therefore, knowing and understanding these methods helps to empower the medical care
staff and the patient to achieve a higher level of control..