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Index of Diseases and Conditions: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Restless Legs

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) causes a powerful urge to move your legs. Your legs become uncomfortable when you are lying down or sitting. Some people describe it as a creeping, crawling, tingling or burning sensation. Moving makes your legs feel better, but not for long.

In most cases, there is no known cause for RLS. In other cases, RLS is caused by a disease or condition, such as anemia or pregnancy. Some medicines can also cause temporary RLS. Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol may make symptoms worse.

Lifestyle changes, such as regular sleep habits, relaxation techniques and moderate exercise during the day can help. If those don't work, medicines may reduce the symptoms of RLS.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Restless Legs Syndrome on Wikipedia

'''Wittmaack-Ekbom''' or '''restless leg(s) syndrome''' is a disorder of the nervous system that affects sensation and movement in the legs and causes the limbs to feel uncomfortable. Relief can be temporarily gained by moving the legs which cause sufferers to seem fidgety and restless. It can affect up to 15 percent of the American population. It is not to be confused with akathisia, a movement disorder that looks similar, but is caused as a side-effect of antipsychotic medication. Unlike restless legs syndrome sufferers, those with akathisia gain most relief by lying down and do not experience worsening of symptoms at night. A study released in April 2005 of 19 French-Canadian families with the syndrome confirmed that one or more genes is responsible for it.

It's not just you.

Most people who have restless legs think it's only them. They walk the floors at night or otherwise try to make the feeling go away. Some have had this since childhood and are only now discovering that they are not alone or just plain crazy. Many people only have this problem when they lay down to go to sleep, but some unlucky people (including this writer) also get the twitchies at work and end up pacing their cubicles or bouncing their knees so much that it rattles the floor. Some people get them on long car rides or during any long period of inactivity (like movies, dinners, etc). There are a number of names used by sufferers: the twitchies, the walkies, the crawlies, Mouse-arms (after one couple's dog), chasing rabbits, and any number of other things that may come to mind when you are unable to sleep because you can not keep your arms or legs still. That's right - arms can come into play as well for the very unlucky. There are doctors out there who have heard of this are willing to try to deal with the syndrome. Visit the sites below, particularly the RLS.ORG site, for much more information and for a great forum full of people with this problem. Some ...   [ Read More ]

External Resources

Zytron Sports Injury Products - Analgesic products for joint inflammation and stiffness, sore muscles, spasms, tendonitis, tennis elbow, fibro myalgia, leg cramps, back pain, aches, pains, strains and restless leg syndrome.

Doctor Karkars Herbal Remedy - All natural remedy for restless leg syndrome. Includes usage instructions and testimonials.

Sleep Disorders - Information on insomnia, Restless Legs Syndrome, sleep in the elderly, and non-medicine countermeasures is provided by Medbroadcast, a Canadian health web-broadcaster.

Restless Legs Syndrome and Leg Cramps in Fibromyalgia Syndrome - British Medical Journal article, 1996: a controlled study.

Restless Leg Syndrome Organization - Home of the Restless Legs Syndrome Organization. Full of helpful information for sufferers and their friends and families.

Wemove - Restless Legs Syndrome - Useful information site for patients and medical professionals hosted by We Move - an awareness for movement disorders site (funded by pharmaceutical companies).

Earthgirl's Restless Legs Syndrome - Provides information, links to other RLS pages, and a survey to describe your symptoms/medications.

Ohio Sleep Medicine Institute - Ohio Sleep Clinic with many helpful links and a lot of information for sufferers of Restless Legs Syndrome, Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, Sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy and other sleep disorders.

Restless Legs Syndrome - Information page compiled by NINDS, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Restless Legs Syndrome Fact Sheet - A publication prepared by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

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