TUESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- Adult stem cells that may prove valuable in efforts to develop nonsurgical treatments for spinal cord injuries have been identified by researchers in the United States and Sweden.

They say it may be possible to develop drugs that boost the ability of these stem cells to repair damaged nerve cells.

FRIDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- People with multiple sclerosis are at a greater risk than the general population for developing restless legs syndrome (RLS), a new Italian study suggests.

"This is important, because RLS is one of the symptoms that can seriously affect an MS patient's quality of life, even more than a lot of other problems MS patients face," said lead researcher Dr. Giovanni Cossu, a neurologist at Brudzu Hospital in Cagliari, Italy. "Therapies for RLS [such as] dopamine agonists are normally very effective and can restore this quality of life, " he added.

EmpowHer's HealthDay Report

FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Skin patches that contain the drug rotigotine help relieve restless legs syndrome (RLS), according to a German study.

Dopaminergic drugs -- which stimulate the body's dopamine system -- are currently used as a first-line treatment for RLS, and rotigotine is already used to treat Parkinson's disease. This study of 458 people with moderate to severe RLS examined the efficacy of rotigotine skin patches.

By Ed Edelson
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- The drugs that are widely used to treat restless legs syndrome do provide relief, but they are burdened by side effects and a gradual loss of effectiveness that causes many sufferers to stop taking them, a new analysis finds.