Christopher J. Lettieri, MD, and Arn H. Eliasson, MD, Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, conducted a prospective, randomised, double-blinded trial to assess the efficacy of PCDs as a nonpharmacologic treatment for RLS.

A total of 35 patients with RLS were randomised to wear either a therapeutic or subtherapeutic (sham) device prior to the usual onset of RLS symptoms for a minimum of 1 hour daily. Measures of severity of illness, quality of life, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue were compared at baseline and after 1 month of therapy.

Therapeutic compression devices significantly improved all measured variables compared with shams. RLS Severity Score improved from 14.1 +- 3.9 to 8.4 +- 3.4 (P = .006) and the Johns Hopkins Restless Legs Scale improved from 2.2 +- 0.5 to 1.2 +- 0.7 (P = .01).

All quality-of-life domains also were improved in patients who wore PCDs compared with those who wore shams, including social function (14% vs 1%, P = .03), daytime function (21% vs 6%, P = .02), sleep quality (16% vs 8%, P = .05), and emotional well-being (17% vs 10%, P = .15).

Complete relief occurred in one-third of subjects using therapeutic and in no subjects using sham devices. Researchers concluded that pneumatic compression devices may be an effective nonpharmacologic therapy for RLS.

SOURCE: American College of Chest Physicians

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