Emerging treatments
High-frequency peroneal nerve stimulation
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine conditionally recommends an alternative nonpharmacologic approach to treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) with the use of bilateral high-frequency peroneal nerve stimulation (HFPNS).[26] HFPNS may be an option for drug-resistant patients or for patients who do not wish to take drugs. This is a noninvasive treatment that operates via a wearable device to stimulate the peroneal nerve at the head of the fibula to activate innervated muscles.[49] In a small randomized controlled trial of 37 patients with moderate-severe RLS, HFPNS used for 30 minutes at night reduced the severity of RLS symptoms relative to sham treatment over 14 days (a reduction of 6.81 points on the International RLS Rating scale vs. a reduction of 3.38 points for sham) and responses were found to be similar for drug-resistant and drug-naive participants.[50]
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