Tel : +27 (0)11 787 8792
 
 

|

|

|

|

|

     

 
 

RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome?
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) has several major signs and symptoms:
 

 An almost irresistible urge to move the legs or arms when sitting or lying down
     
   An unpleasant feeling in the legs
     
 

 Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep because of the unpleasant feelings in
     the legs or arms
     
   Daytime sleepiness, which results from a lack of restful sleep due to the
     repeated limb movements
 
Urge To Move
RLS gets its name from the urge to move the legs when sitting or lying down. This urge is
due to unpleasant feelings in the legs that are relieved by movement.

Typical movements are:
   Pacing and walking
   Stretching and flexing
   Jiggling the legs
   Tossing and turning
   Rubbing the legs
     
Unpleasant Feelings
The urge to move the legs usually is due to unpleasant feelings in the legs.
 

People with RLS describe these feelings as:
   Creeping
   Crawling
   Pulling
   Itching
   Tingling
   Burning
   Aching
   Painful
   Hard to describe
 
Children may describe RLS symptoms differently than adults.
The unpleasant feelings in RLS usually occur in the lower leg (calf). But the feelings can
occur at any place between the thigh and the ankle and also in the arm.
The feelings are worse:
  When lying down or sitting for a long period of time
   During the evening or night, more so than during the day
The unpleasant feelings also:
   Make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep
   Are not as bad or go away when you move
Duration and Severity
RLS symptoms tend to get worse over time. They may begin in childhood and develop slowly
over several years. People with early symptoms are more likely to have other family members
with RLS than people who develop RLS later in life. Symptoms tend to worsen faster when
RLS occurs later in life. RLS  that occurs  later in  life is  also more  likely to result from an
underlying condition or illness than RLS that occurs early in life. People with mild symptoms
may only notice them when they are still or awake for a long time, such as on a long airplane
trip.
How Is Restless Legs Syndrome Diagnosed?
The way that you describe your symptoms is very important in diagnosing restless legs
syndrome (RLS).
Your doctor will:
   Take a complete medical history
   Do a complete physical examination
   Order other tests
The diagnosis of RLS usually requires the following four conditions be present:
  1. An urge to move the legs due to an unpleasant feeling in the legs.
     
  2. The urge to move the legs, or the unpleasant feelings in the legs, begins or gets worse
    when you are at rest or not moving around frequently.

3.

 The urge to move the legs, or the unpleasant feelings in the legs, is partly or  as the
  completely relieved by relieved by movement (such as walking or stretching) for as
  long movement continues.
   

4.

 The urge to move the legs, or the unpleasant feelings in the legs, is worse in the

 

 evening and at night, or only occurs in the evening or at night.
 
 

Click on News Flash above to set up a

 Google Alert that will email regular News &

 Updates on Restless Legs Syndrome to you

 
 

Restless Legs Syndrome
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
   

 
     
     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
     
 
 
   

 
 
Medical History
Your doctor will take a medical history and ask questions such as:

Can you describe your symptoms?

When did your symptoms first begin?
When during the day or night do the symptoms usually occur?
When are your symptoms worse?
Do symptoms interfere with your sleep?

Your doctor will also ask about your sleep habits, such as:

  

  The time you go to bed and get up
   Your routine before going to bed
   Noise, light, and interruptions in the room where you sleep
   Whether you snore
 

Your doctor will ask about how you feel during the day, including whether:
   You are tired and sleepy when you wake up and during the day.  
   You have trouble concentrating.  
   You doze off or have difficulty staying awake doing routine tasks, especially driving.  
     

Your doctor will ask questions to find out if your symptoms are a result of a possible underlying condition.

Questions might include:
   Do members of your family have similar symptoms?
   What medicines (over-the-counter and prescription) do you take?
   Do you snore loudly and frequently?
   Do you gasp for air during sleep?
   Do you use caffeine, tobacco, or alcohol?
 

Physical Exam - A physical exam is done to:
   Identify any underlying condition that may cause RLS  
   Rule out other disorders  
     

Your doctor also will pay special attention to:
   The nerves in your spinal cord (especially) and legs and arms  
   The blood flow in your legs and arms  
 

Other Tests:

      There is no test currently available to diagnose RLS.

  

       However, blood tests can be used to look for underlying conditions that can cause RLS. These tests check for:
   Low iron stores or iron deficiency  
   Diabetes  
   Kidney disease  
   Other vitamin and mineral deficiencies  
     
  Treatment
  Treatment of restless legs syndrome involves identifying the cause of symptoms when possible. Pharmacotherapy involves dopamine
  agonists which are first line drugs for daily restless legs syndrome; gabapentin and opioids can be used for treatment resistant cases.
  The dopamine agonists pergolide, pramipexole, ropinirole, and cabergoline are preferred over levodopa as levodopa has problems of
  commonly having a rebound effect. An algorithm for treating primary RLS (i.e., RLS that is not the result of another medical condition)
  was created by leading researchers at the Mayo Clinic and is endorsed by the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation. This document
  provides guidance to both the treating physician and the patient, and includes both nonpharmacological and pharmacological
  treatments. Treatment of primary RLS should not be considered until possible precipitating medical conditions are ruled out, especially
  venous disorders. Drug therapy in RLS is not curative and is known to have side effects such as nausea, dizziness, hallucinations,
  orthostatic hypotension, and sudden sleep attacks during the daytime. In addition, it can be expensive, and thus it needs to be
  considered with caution.
   
  Secondary RLS has the potential for cure if the precipitating medical conditions, anaemia, venous disorder, etc., are managed
  effectively. In many instances the alleged secondary conditions might be the only conditions causing the RLS; these include iron
  deficiency, varicose veins, and thyroid problems. Karl Ekbom in his original thesis on RLS in 1945 had suspected venous disease in about
  12.5% of the cases he studied. But due to the unavailability of Doppler ultrasound imaging technology (the diagnostic tool that detects
  the abnormal blood flow in the veins, "Venous Reflux", the pathological basis for varicose veins) at that time, Ekbom may have
  underestimated the role of venous disease. In uncontrolled prospective series, improvement of RLS was achieved in a high percentage
  of patients who had presented with a combination of RLS and venous disease and had sclerotherapy or other treatment for the
  correction of venous insufficiency.
   
  Stretching and shaking legs
  Stretching the muscles in the legs can bring instant and permanent relief, lasting several days or longer. This does not work for
  everyone:
  sometimes relief is temporary, and discomfort can return within the span of a few seconds. One stretching method consists of bending
  over from a standing position and reaching out one's hands to the ground (touching the toes if possible). This position is held for 10 to
  20 seconds and repeated 3 times.
 
         
 
 
 

 
 

Home  |  Movement Disorders  |  Event Calendar  |  Support Groups  |  Contact Details  | A-Z Glossary  | Enquiry  |  Sponsors  |  Links  |  Sitemap 

 

 

Website by Affordable WebCreations