Massage for Restless Legs: What the Trials Found, Why US Sleep Doctors Did Not Grade It, and What Helps at Night
Does massage help restless legs? The NHS suggests trying it when symptoms come on, but the trials are thin: most were in people on kidney dialysis, and in the one with a light-touch sham group the benefit had gone a month later. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's 2025 review did not grade massage at all; its strongest advice starts with an iron test. Here is what the trials, the NHS and Vietnamese hospitals say, how to tell restless legs from a cramp or a clot after a flight, and what our Hội An spa does and does not offer.
Does massage help restless legs? The NHS lists it among things to try: its self-help list says to try "walking, stretching or massaging your legs when you're having symptoms". The trials are thinner than that advice. Of the 11 trials we found with massage, a massager or reflexology and restless legs in the title, 9 were in people on kidney dialysis, most of them given short foot and leg massages over a few weeks; they found lower symptom scores, and in the one trial with a light-touch sham group the gain had gone a month after the sessions stopped. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), in the 2025 review behind its guideline, put foot massage and oil massage on a list of treatments it did not grade at all, because the studies had "limited data on critical or important outcomes or biased study designs or methods". Its four strong recommendations in favour of a treatment go to three prescription medicines and to iron given into a vein, for people whose blood tests qualify. Restless legs syndrome, hội chứng chân không yên in Vietnamese, is an urge to move the legs that comes on at rest, mostly in the evening and at night, and eases when you move. We are Nghê Prana, a riverside hotel and spa on the Thu Bồn in Hội An. Nothing on our menu treats it, and this page says what our menu can and cannot do for restless legs. Every source, from the NHS, the AASM and Cochrane to Vinmec, Tâm Anh General Hospital, Tuổi Trẻ and VnExpress, was read on 14 November 2026.
Does massage help restless legs? The short answer
Claim
What was tested
Verdict
Massage eases restless legs
Mostly people on kidney dialysis: in one trial, 70 people in Iran, 10 minutes of lavender-oil stroking from the sole to the knee twice a week for three weeks, against routine care; a 2022 review of 5 studies and 369 patients, against routine care
Possibly, for people on dialysis, while the sessions run
The effect lasts
One dialysis trial of 90 people with a light-touch sham group: better straight after four weeks, no difference one month later; in 64 women with multiple sclerosis, reflexology's lead over a plain foot massage held at one month
Not shown for massage; one small reflexology trial says yes
Massage helps restless legs with no other cause
A 2019 review of 11 trials names no massage; one pilot of a foot-massager machine, 28 people, 30 minutes at bedtime for four weeks, open label, funded by the maker
Barely tested
US sleep doctors back it
AASM review, 2025: foot massage and olive or lavender oil massage among treatments it did not grade
No recommendation either way
Leg compression helps
One trial of 35 people: a pneumatic compression device at least an hour a day for a month, against a sham device
Better than sham in one small trial; not graded by the AASM
Iron helps
Cochrane, 2019: 10 studies, 428 people, iron against placebo; the AASM recommends iron when blood tests qualify
Probably, moderate certainty; a blood test comes first
Magnesium helps
A 2019 review: eight studies, one randomised trial, which found no significant effect
Unknown
One spa massage helps
No trial found
Unmeasured
What is restless legs syndrome, and what sets it off on a trip?
The NHS (page last reviewed 22 September 2025) describes restless legs syndrome as "a strong urge to move your legs, usually when resting at night", with uncomfortable feelings "such as tingling, throbbing or itching" and sometimes pain; symptoms "are usually worse at night when resting and can affect your sleep". Cleveland Clinic (last updated 8 June 2026) adds the other half of the definition, "Relief of discomfort (at least temporarily) when you move your legs", and Vinmec's Vietnamese page (updated 22 July 2024) says the relief often does not last: "Di chuyển chân hoặc đi bộ thường làm giảm cảm giác khó chịu nhưng cảm giác này thường tái phát sau khi chuyển động dừng lại" (moving the legs or walking usually eases the discomfort, but it often comes back once the movement stops). Tâm Anh General Hospital's page, advised by ThS.BS Quãng Thành Ngân (updated 23 January 2025), says symptoms come "trong vòng 15 đến 30 phút sau khi ngả lưng trên giường" (within 15 to 30 minutes of lying down in bed). A 2018 review puts it at 2% to 4% of adults in Europe and North America, counting symptoms at least twice a week (Xu and colleagues, Sleep Medicine Reviews). Cleveland Clinic lists being female and being 50 or older among the risk factors. The NHS says it is thought to be linked to iron and the brain chemical dopamine, that there is usually no clear cause, that you are more likely to get it if someone in your family has it, and that it can be linked to pregnancy ("symptoms usually go away after giving birth"), iron deficiency anaemia, kidney disease and some medicines.
Several things a long trip brings are on the health bodies' lists. Sitting still: Vinmec says restless legs "cũng có thể xảy ra khi không hoạt động và ngồi trong thời gian dài (ví dụ: khi đi du lịch bằng máy bay hoặc xem phim)" (can also happen when inactive and sitting for a long time, for example when travelling by plane or watching a film), and VnExpress (7 March 2023) advises "tránh ngồi một chỗ trong một tư thế quá lâu" (avoid sitting in one position for too long). Short sleep: Vinmec says sleep loss and sleep conditions such as sleep apnoea can make symptoms worse or bring them on in some patients. Caffeine and alcohol: the AASM's guideline says "The first step in the management of RLS should be addressing exacerbating factors, such as alcohol, caffeine, antihistaminergic, serotonergic, antidopaminergic medications, and untreated obstructive sleep apnea." Medicines: among those that can make symptoms worse, Vinmec names anti-nausea medicines such as metoclopramide and older antihistamines in cold and allergy remedies such as diphenhydramine. If you took a tablet for travel sickness or to sleep on the flight, check its ingredients against that list, or ask a pharmacist. Not every crawling feeling at bedtime is restless legs: at the Institute of Mental Health of Bạch Mai Hospital, Dr Đoàn Thị Huệ told Tuổi Trẻ (25 September 2023) of a woman who felt "như dòi bò trong chân" (as if maggots were crawling in her legs) on going to bed; she needed a thorough examination to rule restless legs out, and after further questioning she and another patient in the same report turned out to have an anxiety disorder causing severe insomnia.
A Vietnamese phin filter over a glass. The NHS advice for restless legs is no caffeine, such as tea, coffee or energy drinks, after midday; Vinmec calls caffeine still much debated, a trigger for some people and a help for others.
What did the trials of massage for restless legs find?
Most of the trials are in people on kidney dialysis, who often have restless legs, and the massage was given during the dialysis session. In Kashan and Qom, Iran, 70 people were randomised to routine care or to simple effleurage, long gliding strokes, with lavender oil on both legs from the sole of the foot up to the knee, 10 minutes a session, twice a week for three weeks, given by a trained nurse researcher for men and a trained female assistant for women; average symptom scores fell from 22.41 to 12.41 with massage and went from 22.90 to 23.23 without (Hashemi and colleagues, Nursing and Midwifery Studies, 2015). Two trials massaged the comparison group too, with a different oil, and in both it improved as well. In a trial of 60 people, one group was massaged with olive oil and the other with liquid paraffin as the placebo, five minutes a leg from the sole to below the knee twice a week for three weeks; both groups improved, the olive-oil group more (Nasiri and colleagues, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2019). In Turkey, 58 people were massaged with lavender oil or with baby oil, and severity fell in the baby-oil group too, in the first three follow-up weeks (Döner and Taşcı, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2022). The one trial we found with a sham group that was touched but not massaged is the most telling. In Iran, 90 people on dialysis had foot reflexology, a Swedish foot massage, or a simple touch from the knee to the sole without pressure, 20 minutes (10 a foot) three times a week for four weeks. Straight after the four weeks, average scores were 6.80 with reflexology, 14.60 with Swedish massage and 19.46 with the sham, from about 20 in all three groups at the start, and Swedish massage beat the sham (p = .003). One month later the three groups were at 19.53, 19.63 and 19.80, with no difference between them (Ghanbari and colleagues, International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, 2022).
The reviews pool those small trials. A 2022 meta-analysis of 5 studies and 369 patients on dialysis found symptom scores lower with massage than with routine care, and its authors asked for larger studies "due to the fact that only limited number of eligible studies with small sample size are enrolled" (Xia and colleagues, Frontiers in Psychiatry). A 2022 network meta-analysis of 24 trials and 1,252 people on dialysis rated its finding for aromatherapy massage, like those for stretching exercise during dialysis, as of "limited confidence", and gave the largest effect, with high confidence, to cooling the dialysis fluid (Chen and colleagues, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation). A 2025 review of 12 studies found that massage and acupressure reduced severity "while reflexology had no effect", that the interventions "did not affect the sleep quality of patients", and that severity fell more in studies using oil and with sessions over 15 minutes (Döner and colleagues, Nursing Open). A 2025 meta-analysis of 17 studies of non-drug treatments found only "a non-significant trend" for massage therapy (Gupta and colleagues, Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology). On reflexology, the point-pressing kind of foot massage, the trials disagree: in 105 women on dialysis in Iran, aromatherapy massage reduced severity but "reflexology did not appear to cause any significant reduction in it" (Ghasemi and colleagues, Geriatrics, 2021), while in 64 women with multiple sclerosis, reflexology for four weeks lowered restless legs scores and scores rose in a comparison group given a plain foot massage without pressure on reflexology points (Harandi and colleagues, Neurology Research International, 2026). For restless legs with no other cause, almost nothing: a 2019 review of 11 trials in idiopathic restless legs found that compression devices, exercise and some other treatments beat their controls, names no massage in its abstract, and warned that non-drug treatments "may cause placebo effects" (Harrison and colleagues, Disability and Rehabilitation). The closest is a pilot at Ohio State University: 28 people randomised to nothing, a foot-massager machine, a heating pad on the thighs, or both, 30 minutes at bedtime for four weeks; after four weeks the massager group's severity score was 9.0 points lower than the no-treatment group's, but participants knew what they were using, and the authors declare funding from the machine's maker (Park and colleagues, PLoS One, 2020).
Illustrative photo, not our spa. The dialysis trials massaged the feet and lower legs in short sessions, two or three times a week, during dialysis.
What do sleep doctors recommend instead: iron, magnesium, vitamins or a device?
The AASM's guideline on treating restless legs (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, January 2025) starts with a blood test: "In all patients with clinically significant RLS, clinicians should regularly test serum iron studies including ferritin and transferrin saturation", with iron advised, by consensus guidelines it says "have not been empirically tested", when ferritin is "≤ 75 ng/mL or transferrin saturation < 20%", thresholds it says "are different than for the general population". Its four strong recommendations in favour of a treatment go to gabapentin enacarbil, gabapentin and pregabalin, all prescription medicines, and to iron given into a vein, ferric carboxymaltose, for people with the right iron results; iron tablets (ferrous sulfate) get a conditional recommendation, on moderate certainty evidence. Cochrane's review of iron (2019, 10 studies, 428 people, followed 2 to 16 weeks) concluded that "Iron therapy probably improves restlessness and RLS severity in comparison to placebo". The NHS puts it more simply: "you may need iron supplements if you have low levels of iron in your blood". On devices, the guideline suggests bilateral high-frequency peroneal nerve stimulation, a wearable device placed below the knees (conditional recommendation, moderate certainty). The leg-squeezing devices are another matter: in a 2009 trial of 35 people who wore a pneumatic compression device or a sham for at least an hour a day before their symptoms usually began, for a month, the real device improved symptoms more and "Complete relief occurred in one third of subjects using therapeutic and in no subjects using sham devices" (Lettieri and Eliasson, Chest). But the AASM's systematic review placed pneumatic compression, vibration pads, exercise, heat therapy, hot or cold baths, foot massage and olive or lavender oil massage on its list of interventions where "the GRADE process was not applied", and so "these interventions were not considered for recommendations". The same review is careful about what that means: a lack of recommendation "should not be a barrier to use, when clinically indicated".
Can magnesium deficiency cause restless legs? Two Vietnamese sources list it: Tâm Anh's page puts "Thiếu folate hoặc magie" (a lack of folate or magnesium) among the conditions restless legs can follow, and Dr Tăng Hà Nam Anh, writing in Tuổi Trẻ (4 February 2015), lists "thiếu manhê" (magnesium deficiency) among its other causes. The NHS page does not mention magnesium. Whether taking magnesium helps is unknown. A 2019 systematic review found eight studies with relevant data, one randomised placebo-controlled trial, three case series and four case studies; the trial "did not find a significant treatment effect of magnesium but may have been underpowered", and the reviewers were "unable to make a conclusion" (Marshall and colleagues, Sleep Medicine Reviews). In a later single-blind trial, 75 people took 250 mg of magnesium oxide, 40 mg of vitamin B6 or a placebo a day; the three groups did not differ at one month and differed significantly at two, and the authors conclude that the supplements "can reduce the severity of symptoms", though the abstract does not say which group did best (Jadidi and colleagues, BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2022). The AASM did not grade magnesium or vitamin B6. For vitamins, it suggests vitamin C only for adults with restless legs and end-stage kidney disease, on one randomised trial (conditional recommendation, low certainty), and made no recommendation on vitamin D; in a 12-week trial of 35 people, 50,000 IU of vitamin D a week did no better than a placebo (Wali and colleagues, Sleep and Breathing, 2019). Tâm Anh's page lists "Thuốc bổ sung sắt, uống cùng vitamin C" (iron supplements, taken with vitamin C) among the medicines a doctor may prescribe. Our reading: of the supplements people ask about, iron has the clearest evidence, and the AASM wants the blood test first.
How do you stop restless legs at night, and which stretches help in bed?
When it starts: the NHS says to "try walking, stretching or massaging your legs when you're having symptoms" and to "try doing things to distract yourself from your symptoms, such as reading or doing a game or puzzle". Tâm Anh's page describes people with milder symptoms kicking their legs or rubbing them, "đá chân hoặc xoa bóp chân để giảm đau" (kicking or massaging the legs to ease the pain). Moving helps while you move; Vinmec says the discomfort often returns when you stop.
Before bed: the NHS suggests "try having a warm bath or using heat pads on your legs before you go to bed"; Cleveland Clinic lists "Soaking your legs in warm water before bedtime" and "Stretching before bedtime, especially your legs"; Vinmec's sleep page says "Ngay trước khi đi ngủ, hãy xoa bóp chân hoặc tắm nước nóng" (just before bed, massage your legs or take a hot bath); Tâm Anh's page suggests soaking the feet in warm water and a warm or cold compress on the legs.
In bed: Vinmec suggests "Hãy thử kê một chiếc gối giữa hai chân khi ngủ" (try putting a pillow between your legs when you sleep).
Caffeine and alcohol: the NHS says "do not have caffeine, such as tea, coffee or energy drinks, after midday" and "do not drink alcohol for at least 2 hours before going to bed". Vinmec calls caffeine "một chất còn nhiều tranh cãi" (still much debated): it may bring symptoms on for some people and help others.
The rest of the day: the NHS list adds exercise during the day, the same bedtime and waking time, a dark and quiet bedroom, no big meal or strenuous exercise late at night, no phone right before bed, no daytime naps, and help to stop smoking.
No health body we read names a particular stretch for restless legs. The NHS and Cleveland Clinic say stretching, and the one stretch an NHS page spells out, leaning into a wall to stretch the calves, held "for 2 or 3 seconds" and repeated "a few times for 5 minutes, 3 times a day (the last time just before bed)", is on its leg cramps page (reviewed 1 December 2023), written for cramps. The trials tested exercise programmes, not a stretch at the moment symptoms start. In the United States, 41 people were randomised to aerobic and lower-body resistance training three days a week or to a control group; of the 23 who completed the 12 weeks, the exercise group improved more (Aukerman and colleagues, Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 2006). In Isfahan, Iran, 90 people on dialysis did stretching exercises or had foot reflexology three times a week, 30 to 40 minutes a time, for four weeks; both groups improved more than a control group, and neither more than the other (Shahgholian and colleagues, 2016). Cochrane's review for people with kidney disease (2016, 9 studies, 220 dialysis participants) found aerobic resistance exercise reduced severity against no exercise in 2 studies of 48 people, but concluded that drugs and exercise programmes during dialysis "have uncertain effects" on restless legs in people on haemodialysis. Our reading: stretching when symptoms come on costs nothing and is on the NHS list; nobody has measured which one works best, or whether any works better than getting up and walking.
Illustrative photo. The NHS suggests walking, stretching or massaging your legs when symptoms come on; no health body we read names one stretch for restless legs.
Is it restless legs, a leg cramp or a blood clot after a long flight?
Restless legs: an urge to move, at rest, worse at night (NHS) and eased by moving (Cleveland Clinic). Cleveland Clinic says the sensations "can happen on one side of your body. But they more commonly affect both sides equally, like both legs."
A leg cramp: the NHS (reviewed 1 December 2023) says a cramp is when "a muscle in the leg tightens and causes a sudden pain that can make it hard to move", lasting "from a few seconds to 10 minutes", usually in the calf, and that "Stretching and massaging the muscle may ease the pain during a cramp".
A blood clot (deep vein thrombosis, DVT): the NHS (reviewed 30 April 2026) lists "throbbing pain in 1 leg (rarely both legs), usually in the calf or thigh", "swelling in 1 leg (rarely both legs)", "red, blue or darkened skin around the painful area" and "swollen veins". It counts going on "a long journey (more than 4 hours) by plane, car or train" among the times a clot is more likely. That is a doctor's question, not a spa's: our page on swollen feet after a flight sets out the difference between both ankles puffy and one leg swollen, and why we will not start a treatment on a leg with those signs.
Nerve pain: the NHS lists leg cramps and peripheral neuropathy among conditions that "can cause similar symptoms". Leg pain that starts in the back is a different problem again, covered on our sciatica page.
Illustrative photo. Vinmec says restless legs can come on when sitting still for a long time, as on a flight; the NHS counts a journey of more than 4 hours among the times a blood clot is more likely.
When should you see a doctor about restless legs?
Call an ambulance or go to an emergency department. The NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E if you have "symptoms of DVT (deep vein thrombosis), such as pain and swelling" and "feel short of breath" or "have chest pain", and: "Do not drive to A&E." Hội An has been part of Đà Nẵng city since July 2025, and the Đà Nẵng health department lists the city's emergency centre, Trung tâm Cấp cứu thành phố Đà Nẵng, on 115: call it, or go to a hospital emergency department, not a spa.
Get urgent help the same day. The NHS says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if "you think you have DVT (deep vein thrombosis)".
See a GP, says the NHS restless legs page, if you have symptoms and "it’s stopping you sleep", "it's affecting your mental health" or "you’ve tried things you can do yourself but they have not helped".
See a GP, says the NHS leg cramps page, if "leg cramps are disturbing your sleep", "you also have numbness or swelling in your legs" or "cramps last longer than 10 minutes".
See a doctor soon, says Tâm Anh's page, when suspected restless legs comes with "Mất ngủ thường xuyên" (frequent insomnia), "Cảm thấy lo lắng" (feeling anxious) or "Mất tập trung" (loss of concentration).
Ask about iron. Dr Tăng Hà Nam Anh's advice in Tuổi Trẻ (4 February 2015) is that patients "nên được tầm soát lượng sắt trong máu" (should be screened for iron in the blood), and the AASM's guideline says clinicians should regularly test iron in everyone with clinically significant restless legs.
In pregnancy, VnExpress advises asking a doctor before taking medicine, and the AASM asks prescribers to consider "the pregnancy-specific safety profile of each treatment".
What our spa menu does and does not offer for restless legs
Planning a trip around this? See dates at our quiet riverside hotel on the Thu Bồn. Check availability →
On our menu
60 min
90 min
The menu's own words
With restless legs
Foot massage
450,000₫
600,000₫
"unhurried pressure work from toes to calves"
Closest to the area the dialysis trials massaged; no trial tested one session
Special reflexology for foot (bấm huyệt bàn chân)
520,000₫
700,000₫
"pressure points on the soles mapped to the body's rest systems"
The trials disagree; not given to pregnant guests
Relaxing full-body massage with oil
450,000₫
600,000₫
"medium pressure, head to toe"
The legs are part of the whole body; no trial of a full-body massage for restless legs found
Himalaya hot stone full-body massage
520,000₫
700,000₫
"Warm Himalayan stones glide over tight muscles"
No trial of hot stones for restless legs found
Vietnamese herbal full-body massage
520,000₫
700,000₫
"warm compresses of lemongrass, ginger and local herbs"
No trial of warm compresses for restless legs found
Vietnam Impression bamboo massage
570,000₫
770,000₫
"firmer than hands, especially good for legs and back"
No trial compared firm with gentle pressure for restless legs
Pregnancy full-body treatment
520,000₫
700,000₫
"supported positions, light pressure"
From 12 weeks, side-lying, no point pressure
A treatment for restless legs
Not on our menu
None
A doctor, and an iron test
Prices are per person, VAT included, from our live spa menu read on 14 November 2026; the quoted words are the menu's descriptions, not findings. Nothing on our menu is a medical treatment, and there is no doctor or physiotherapist on the premises. The foot massage covers roughly the ground the dialysis trials covered, the foot and lower leg, but those trials gave courses of short sessions over several weeks, and no trial we found tested a single 60-minute foot massage for restless legs. The relaxing oil massage works the legs as part of the whole body, and what its 60 minutes contain is on our oil massage page. What our foot massage involves, and how it differs from reflexology, is on our foot massage page; what foot-massage trials found for sleep, pain and anxiety is on foot massage benefits. Package 3 on our menu, 820,000₫ for one hour 45, is a 45-minute foot massage followed by a 60-minute Vietnamese herbal or hot stone massage. One thing to know before you book: restless legs comes on at rest, and a massage means lying still for an hour or more, so if the urge starts on the table, say so. On the consultation form, which the online booking leads straight to, you choose the pressure, Gentle, Medium, Strong or Very strong, and write what to avoid. If your feet are numb from diabetes or nerve damage, our page on diabetes and varicose veins explains why numb skin cannot judge pressure or heat. Pregnant guests have the pregnancy treatment, from 12 weeks, side-lying, with light pressure, no point pressure and no steam or hot jacuzzi, as our pregnancy massage page explains; the NHS says restless legs in pregnancy usually goes away after the birth, and Vinmec says within 4 weeks of the birth in most cases. Restless legs is worst in the evening and at night, and what one small study of insomnia found for a massage just before bed is on our best-time page. Treatments starting from 19:00 carry a 20% evening surcharge, so a 60-minute foot massage at 19:00 is 540,000₫ instead of 450,000₫. Falling asleep on the table is normal. We have male and female therapists; ask at booking.
What nobody has measured
One massage for restless legs. Every massage trial we read gave a course of sessions over several weeks; none measured what one session does that night.
Massage by hand for restless legs with no other cause. The 2019 review of 11 trials listed none. Outside kidney disease we found two trials: a foot-massager machine and foot reflexology in women with multiple sclerosis.
Whether massage outlasts the course. The one dialysis trial with a light-touch sham that looked a month later found no difference left; in the multiple sclerosis trial, reflexology's lead over a plain foot massage held at one month.
Massage against a convincing fake. Most trials compared massage with routine care; in several, the comparison group was massaged too, with another oil or a plain foot massage; one used a light touch as the sham.
Firm against gentle pressure, or heat during a massage. No trial compared them for restless legs.
Anything on our guests. We have measured nothing on the people we treat, so we claim nothing for their legs.
Questions people ask before booking
How do I stop restless legs at night?
Nothing we read stops it instantly. Moving eases it while you move: the NHS says to try walking, stretching or massaging your legs when symptoms come on, and Vinmec notes the discomfort often comes back when you stop. Before bed, the NHS suggests a warm bath or heat pads on the legs, no caffeine after midday and no alcohol in the 2 hours before bed. If it keeps stopping you sleeping, see a doctor: the AASM's 2025 guideline says clinicians should regularly test iron in everyone with clinically significant restless legs.
Can magnesium deficiency cause restless legs?
Some Vietnamese sources list it: Tâm Anh General Hospital's page lists a lack of folate or magnesium among the conditions restless legs can follow, and a 2015 Tuổi Trẻ article by Dr Tăng Hà Nam Anh lists magnesium deficiency too. The NHS page does not mention magnesium; it links restless legs to iron and dopamine. Whether taking magnesium helps is unknown: a 2019 systematic review found one randomised trial, which showed no significant effect, and could not reach a conclusion, and the AASM did not grade magnesium in 2025.
What vitamins help with restless legs?
None has strong evidence. The AASM's 2025 guideline suggests vitamin C only for adults with restless legs and end-stage kidney disease (conditional recommendation, low certainty), makes no recommendation on vitamin D, and did not grade vitamin B6; in a 12-week trial of 35 people, vitamin D did no better than a placebo. The supplement with the best evidence is a mineral, iron: Cochrane (2019, 10 studies, 428 people) found it probably improves restless legs against placebo, and the AASM recommends it when blood tests qualify, so the test comes first.
Do you offer a massage for restless legs?
No. Nothing on our menu treats restless legs, and there is no doctor or physiotherapist on the premises. The nearest thing to what the trials massaged is our foot massage, "unhurried pressure work from toes to calves" in the menu's words, 450,000₫ (about US$17) for 60 minutes, but no trial has tested one session of it, or any spa massage, for restless legs. Treatments starting from 19:00 cost 20% more. If one leg is swollen, painful, warm or red, see a doctor first.
How to book
Nghê Prana Riverside Hotel & Spa, Hẻm 384 Nguyễn Tri Phương, Cẩm Nam, Hội An, on the Thu Bồn, 3.2 km from the Old Town. The spa is open from 9:00 to 21:00 every day and takes visitors as well as hotel guests. Book on the online form, which leads straight to the consultation, or message WhatsApp or Zalo on +84 896 687 961 at least an hour ahead. Prices are per person, VAT is included and there is no service charge; treatments starting from 19:00 carry a 20% evening surcharge. At the 26,000₫ rate we use across the site, the 60-minute foot massage at 450,000₫ is about US$17, or 540,000₫, about US$21, from 19:00, and an hour of foot reflexology at 520,000₫ is about US$20. Hotel guests get 15% off spa treatments; visitors get a fresh drink after the treatment. We pick you up for free from anywhere within 5 km of the spa in a straight line, which takes in the Old Town: send a map pin to the same number and we reply within 15 minutes during spa hours. The ride is one way, to the spa. Booking as two? Two 60-minute foot massages side by side are 900,000₫ before 19:00, and the couple spa page shows the private room for two.
How we checked: on 14 November 2026 we read the NHS pages on restless legs syndrome (last reviewed 22 September 2025), DVT (30 April 2026) and leg cramps (1 December 2023); Cleveland Clinic's page on restless legs syndrome (last updated 8 June 2026); the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's clinical practice guideline on the treatment of restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder and its systematic review, meta-analysis and GRADE assessment (Winkelman and colleagues, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, January 2025), in full; the abstracts of the Cochrane reviews by Trotti and Becker 2019 (iron) and Gopaluni 2016 (kidney disease), of the reviews by Xu 2018, Harrison 2019, Marshall 2019, Xia 2022, Chen 2022, Döner 2025 and Gupta 2025, and of the trials by Aukerman 2006, Lettieri 2009, Shahgholian 2016, Nasiri 2019, Wali 2019, Ghasemi 2021, Döner and Taşcı 2022, Jadidi 2022 and Harandi 2026; the full texts of Hashemi 2015, Park 2020 and Ghanbari 2022; Vinmec's pages on what restless legs syndrome is and on how it affects sleep (both updated 22 July 2024); Tâm Anh General Hospital's page (updated 23 January 2025); VnExpress, Hội chứng chân không yên (7 March 2023); Tuổi Trẻ, Hội chứng chân không yên, by Dr Tăng Hà Nam Anh (4 February 2015) and Không thể ngủ vì có cảm giác như bị dòi bò trong chân (25 September 2023); and the Đà Nẵng Department of Health's page on the city emergency centre. The same day we searched Europe PMC for trials with restless legs and massage, a massager or reflexology in the title (11 trials, 9 of them in people on dialysis) and read our live spa menu. We are a hotel spa, not a clinic; nothing here is medical advice.
NHS (2025). Restless legs syndrome — symptoms, things you can do (warm bath or heat pads, walking, stretching or massaging your legs, no caffeine after midday, no alcohol 2 hours before bed), see a GP, causes, treatment (page last reviewed 22 September 2025, next review due 22 September 2028; read 14 November 2026). NHS website (nhs.uk). View source
NHS (2026). DVT (deep vein thrombosis) — symptoms in 1 leg, urgent GP or NHS 111, call 999 with breathlessness or chest pain, long journey of more than 4 hours (page last reviewed 30 April 2026; read 14 November 2026). NHS website (nhs.uk). View source
NHS (2023). Leg cramps — symptoms, stretching and massaging during a cramp, calf stretch, see a GP if (page last reviewed 1 December 2023; read 14 November 2026). NHS website (nhs.uk). View source
Cleveland Clinic (2026). Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): Symptoms & Treatment — risk factors, relief when moving, both sides, at-home therapies (last updated 06/08/2026; read 14 November 2026). Cleveland Clinic Health Library. View source
Winkelman JW, Berkowski JA, DelRosso LM, Koo BB, Scharf MT, Sharon D, Zak RS, Kazmi U, Falck-Ytter Y, Shelgikar AV, Trotti LM, Walters AS (2025). Treatment of restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline — 21(1):137-152 (good practice statements on iron testing and exacerbating factors; recommendations 1-28; 'no recommendation' list), full text read 14 November 2026. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. View source
Winkelman JW, Berkowski JA, DelRosso LM, Koo BB, Scharf MT, Sharon D, Zak RS, Kazmi U, Carandang G, Falck-Ytter Y, Shelgikar AV, Trotti LM, Walters AS (2025). Treatment of restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine systematic review, meta-analysis, and GRADE assessment — 21(1):153-199 ('Other interventions': foot massage, oil massage, pneumatic compression, vibration pads, exercise, magnesium not graded), full text read 14 November 2026. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. View source
Trotti LM, Becker LA (2019). Iron for the treatment of restless legs syndrome — CD007834 (10 studies, 428 participants; abstract read 14 November 2026). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. View source
Gopaluni S, Sherif M, Ahmadouk NA (2016). Interventions for chronic kidney disease-associated restless legs syndrome — CD010690 (9 studies, 220 dialysis participants; abstract read 14 November 2026). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. View source
Harrison EG, Keating JL, Morgan PE (2019). Non-pharmacological interventions for restless legs syndrome: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials — 41(17):2006-2014 (11 trials, idiopathic RLS). Disability and Rehabilitation. View source
Xu XM, Liu Y, Jia SY, Dong MX, Cao D, Wei YD (2018). Complementary and alternative therapies for restless legs syndrome: An evidence-based systematic review — 38:158-167 (18 studies; prevalence 2%-4%). Sleep Medicine Reviews. View source
Xia M, He Q, Ying G, Fei X, Zhou W, He X (2022). Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Massage for the Treatment of Restless Leg Syndrome in Hemodialysis Patients: A Meta-Analysis of 5 Randomized Controlled Trials — 13:843263 (369 patients). Frontiers in Psychiatry. View source
Döner A, Taşci S, Bilgin A (2025). The Effect of Massage, Acupressure and Reflexology on Restless Legs Syndrome Severity and Sleep Quality in Patients Receiving Haemodialysis Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — 12(2):e70135 (12 studies). Nursing Open. View source
Gupta B, Goel R, Gupta K, Thakor A, Mittal A (2025). Effect of Vibration, Electrical Stimulation and Other Non-Pharmacological Interventions on Restless Leg Syndrome Severity and Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — 28(6):806-816 (17 studies). Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology. View source
Chen JJ, Lee TH, Tu YK, Kuo G, Yang HY, Yen CL, Fan PC, Chang CH (2022). Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for restless legs syndrome in end-stage kidney disease: a systematic review and component network meta-analysis — 37(10):1982-1992 (24 RCTs, 1,252 participants). Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation. View source
Hashemi SH, Hajbagheri A, Aghajani M (2015). The Effect of Massage With Lavender Oil on Restless Leg Syndrome in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial — 4(4):e29617 (70 patients, Kashan and Qom; full text read 14 November 2026). Nursing and Midwifery Studies. View source
Nasiri M, Abbasi M, Abbasi M, Khosroabadi ZY, Saghafi H, Hamzeei F, Amiri MH, Yusefi H (2019). Short-term effects of massage with olive oil on the severity of uremic restless legs syndrome: A double-blind placebo-controlled trial — 44:261-268 (60 patients). Complementary Therapies in Medicine. View source
Döner A, Taşcı S (2022). Effect of massage therapy with lavender oil on severity of restless legs syndrome and quality of life in hemodialysis patients — 54(3):304-314 (58 participants, lavender oil against baby oil, Turkey). Journal of Nursing Scholarship. View source
Ghasemi M, Rejeh N, Bahrami T, Heravi-Karimooi M, Tadrisi SD, Vaismoradi M (2021). Aromatherapy Massage vs. Foot Reflexology on the Severity of Restless Legs Syndrome in Female Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis — 6(4):99 (105 women, 24 sessions). Geriatrics (Basel). View source
Ghanbari A, Shahrbabaki PM, Dehghan M, Mardanparvar H, Abadi EKD, Emami A, Sarikhani-Khorrami E (2022). Comparison of the Effect of Reflexology and Swedish Massage on Restless Legs Syndrome and Sleep Quality in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: a Randomized Clinical Trial — 15(2):1-13 (90 patients, sham group; Tables 3 and 4; full text read 14 November 2026). International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. View source
Harandi F, Tirgari B, Jahani Y, Tajadini H (2026). Effect of Foot Reflexology on Restless Legs Syndrome and Sleep Quality in Female Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial — 2026:5579094 (64 women). Neurology Research International. View source
Park A, Ambrogi K, Hade EM (2020). Randomized pilot trial for the efficacy of the MMF07 foot massager and heat therapy for restless legs syndrome — 15(4):e0230951 (28 patients; full text read 14 November 2026). PLoS One. View source
Lettieri CJ, Eliasson AH (2009). Pneumatic compression devices are an effective therapy for restless legs syndrome: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled trial — 135(1):74-80 (35 subjects). Chest. View source
Aukerman MM, Aukerman D, Bayard M, Tudiver F, Thorp L, Bailey B (2006). Exercise and restless legs syndrome: a randomized controlled trial — 19(5):487-493. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. View source
Shahgholian N, Jazi SK, Karimian J, Valiani M (2016). The effects of two methods of reflexology and stretching exercises on the severity of restless leg syndrome among hemodialysis patients — 21(3):219-224 (90 patients, Isfahan). Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research. View source
Marshall NS, Serinel Y, Killick R, et al. (2019). Magnesium supplementation for the treatment of restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder: A systematic review — 48:101218. Sleep Medicine Reviews. View source
Jadidi A, Rezaei Ashtiani A, Khanmohamadi Hezaveh A, Aghaepour SM (2022). Therapeutic effects of magnesium and vitamin B6 in alleviating the symptoms of restless legs syndrome: a randomized controlled clinical trial — 23(1):1 (75 patients). BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. View source
Wali SO, Abaalkhail B, Alhejaili F, Pandi-Perumal SR (2019). Efficacy of vitamin D replacement therapy in restless legs syndrome: a randomized control trial — 23(2):595-601 (35 subjects, 12 weeks). Sleep and Breathing. View source
Vinmec (2024). Hội chứng chân không yên là gì? Biểu hiện thế nào? — ngồi lâu khi đi máy bay; triệu chứng tái phát khi ngừng cử động; thuốc chống buồn nôn, kháng histamine cũ; mang thai; thiếu ngủ; caffeine còn nhiều tranh cãi (cập nhật 22/07/2024; đọc 14/11/2026). Bệnh viện Đa khoa Quốc tế Vinmec. View source
Vinmec (2024). Hội chứng chân không yên ảnh hưởng tới giấc ngủ như thế nào? — xoa bóp chân hoặc tắm nước nóng trước khi ngủ; gối giữa hai chân (cập nhật 22/07/2024; đọc 14/11/2026). Bệnh viện Đa khoa Quốc tế Vinmec. View source
ThS.BS Quãng Thành Ngân (tư vấn chuyên môn) (2025). Hội chứng chân không yên là gì? Nguyên nhân, triệu chứng và chẩn đoán — 15 đến 30 phút sau khi ngả lưng; thiếu folate hoặc magie; ngâm chân nước ấm; khi nào nên đến bệnh viện (cập nhật lần cuối 23/01/2025; đọc 14/11/2026). Bệnh viện Đa khoa Tâm Anh. View source
VnExpress Sức khỏe (2023). Hội chứng chân không yên — tránh ngồi một chỗ quá lâu; thiếu ngủ; mang thai hỏi ý kiến bác sĩ trước khi dùng thuốc (7/3/2023; đọc 14/11/2026). VnExpress. View source
Bác sĩ Tăng Hà Nam Anh (2015). Hội chứng chân không yên — thiếu manhê; tầm soát lượng sắt trong máu (4/2/2015; đọc 14/11/2026). Tuổi Trẻ. View source
Tuổi Trẻ (Bác sĩ Đoàn Thị Huệ, Viện Sức khỏe tâm thần, Bệnh viện Bạch Mai) (2023). Không thể ngủ vì có cảm giác như bị dòi bò trong chân — cần khám chuyên sâu để loại trừ hội chứng chân không yên; rối loạn lo âu (25/9/2023; đọc 14/11/2026). Tuổi Trẻ. View source
Sở Y tế thành phố Đà Nẵng (2018). Trung tâm Cấp cứu thành phố Đà Nẵng — điện thoại 115 / 0236 3 741 738 (đăng 18/01/2018; đọc 14/11/2026). Trang thông tin điện tử Sở Y tế Đà Nẵng. View source
Every room at Nghê Prana is designed around the science of sleep. Blackout curtains, nightly aromatherapy turndown, and riverside quiet — experience what real rest feels like.
Riverside hotel rooms on the Thu Bồn, ten minutes by bicycle from the Ancient Town. Whether it's one night between Hue and Da Nang or a full week of doing nothing — we kept your room quiet.
Free cancellation · Direct from the family who built the hotel