Sleep Disorder : Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless Legs Syndrome - Overview

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) causes - "An urge to move, usually due to uncomfortable sensations that occur primarily in the legs."

Synonyms - / Ekbom Syndrome, Wittmaack-Ekbom Syndrome, Anxietas Tibialis, Jimmy Legs, Spare legs.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a sensory disorder causing an almost irresistible urge to move the legs. The urge to move is usually due to unpleasant feelings in the legs that occur when at rest. People with RLS use words such as creeping, crawling, tingling, or burning to describe these feelings. These abnormal sensations called paresthesia can be unpleasant and abnormal called dysesthesias . The sensations range in severity from uncomfortable to irritating to painful. Moving the legs eases the feelings, but only for a while.

The unpleasant feelings may also occur in the arms. Many people only experience symptoms when they try to sleep, while other experience symptoms during the day. It is common to have symptoms on long car rides or during any long period of inactivity (like watching television or a movie, attending a musical or theatrical performance, etc.). For those who experience these symptoms on a regular basis, it's hard to convey the frustration (and fatigue) caused by the need to move one's legs almost constantly.

References - Restless Legs Syndrome

1. Ekbom, K.-A. Restless legs: a clinical study. Acta Med. Scand. (Suppl.) 158: 1-123, 1945.
2. Restless legs syndrome - (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restless_legs_syndrome)
3. About Restless legs syndrome - (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/restless-legs-syndrome/DS00191)