Short-term effects of massage with olive oil on the severity of uremic restless legs syndrome: A double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Background: Although the efficacy of olive oil massage has been established for different disorders, no studies have yet focused on the effect of olive oil massage on restless legs syndrome (RLS). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of massage with olive oil in reducing the severity of uremic RLS.

Methods: This double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 60 patients with uremic RLS (mean age: 51.96 ± 10.15), who were randomly divided into olive oil and placebo groups. The olive oil group received massage with olive oil, while the placebo group received massage with liquid paraffin twice a week during hemodialysis sessions for three weeks. For each leg, 10 mL of the olive oil or placebo was applied and then massaged for five minute [corrected] from the plantar surface of the foot to the area below the knee. The severity of RLS was rated on the first day and one week after the final massage therapy session by using the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) Rating Scale.

Results: In terms of different categories of RLS severity, a significant decline was observed only in the olive oil group from the pre- to post-intervention stages (P = 0.003). After the intervention, the decline in the total RLS severity was more significant in the olive oil group (P < 0.001), compared to the placebo group (P = 0.019). Moreover, a significant difference in the total RLS severity (P < 0.001) and different categories of RLS severity (P = 0.002) was observed after the intervention between the groups in favor of olive oil massage. However, no significant difference was found between groups in pre-intervention stage in this regard (P = 0.363 and P = 0.955, respectively).

Conclusion: Application of short-term massage with olive oil as a complementary method seems to be effective in reducing the severity of uremic RLS. Further studies are suggested to identify the sustainability of the findings.