What is Restless Legs Syndrome?

Restless Legs Syndrome is a nerve problem characterised by annoying sensations in the lower limbs and the compelling have to slowly move the legs, usually only when attempting to rest. The peculiar sensation, typically with the calf muscles, is described as a sort of cramp, soreness or possibly a creeping, crawling feeling. Those with this liken the feeling to being like shooting darts of an electrical source, or perhaps squirming creatures inside the legs. The sensations vary in severity from not comfortable to irritating to being painful.

Essentially the most distinctive aspect of the disorder is always that when lying down and seeking to relax brings on the feelings. As a result, most people with restless legs syndrome have difficulty dropping off to sleep and also remaining asleep. Left untreated, the condition may cause tiredness and also daytime low energy.

Those that have restless legs syndrome experience unpleasant sensations within their lower limbs, particularly if seated or lying down, accompanied by an hard to resist craving to move the leg. These kind of sensations typically take place deep within the leg, between the knee and ankle; and less typically, they happen in your feet, thighs, arms, and even the hands. Even though the feelings may happen on just one side of the body, they most often impact the two sides. Because moving the legs minimizes the discomfort, people with restless legs syndrome commonly keep the lower limbs moving to minimize or avoid the feelings. They may pace the floor, continuously moving their lower limbs whilst seated, and toss and turn in bed.

The majority of affected individuals notice the feelings of restless legs syndrome to generally be significantly less apparent in the daytime and more apparent later in the day or at night, especially during the start of sleep. For some people, the symptoms disappear by early morning, allowing for more refreshing sleep at that time. Other triggering situations are periods of inactivity such as long car trips, sitting in a movie theatre, long-distance flights, immobilisation in a cast, or relaxation exercises.

What's causing it is unknown but people with a family history of restless legs syndrome make-up somewhere around half of the cases, and people with reduced iron amounts or anemia, chronic conditions for example kidney failure, all forms of diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and peripheral neuropathy, some women that are pregnant in their last trimester and people using specific medicines appear to be more likely to get restless legs syndrome.Restless legs syndrome can impact anybody of all ages, while the condition is much more frequent with increasing age. This happens in both sexes, even though the frequency might well be to some extent greater in women. Occasionally those with this will experience spontaneous improvement after a number of weeks or months. While rare, spontaneous improvement following a number of years could also happen. If these changes take place, in most cases while in the first phases of the disorder. Typically, however, restlessness are more intense with time.

The medical diagnosis of restless legs syndrome is tricky to arrive at. Physicians typically rely largely on patients’ descriptions of symptoms and information from their medical history, such as previous health concerns, family history, and also present medicines. Sufferers could be inquired about the frequency, how long the feelings happen to be present, and the level of the symptoms in addition to their inclination for day time sleep patterns and sleepiness, disturbance of sleep, or daytime function. When a patient’s history is an indication of restless legs syndrome, lab testing is often done to rule out other issues and confirm the conclusion restless legs syndrome. Blood tests, studies to measure electrical activity in the muscles as well as nerves, and Doppler lab tests to examine muscle impulses with the legs might be proposed. These assessments are able to establish any kind of associated injury or disorder in nerves or nerve roots or another leg-related movement dysfunctions.

Craig Payne is a University lecturer, runner, cynic, researcher, skeptic, forum admin, woo basher, clinician, rabble-rouser, blogger and a dad.