Do you ever experience a sensation in your legs that occurs usually in the evenings or during the night that makes it difficult to sleep? You may be experiencing some symptoms of
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS).
Sensations that are experienced include:
- Leg pain
- Itching
- Burning
- Tingling
- Cramps
- Pulling or tugging
Symptoms have been known to start in the evening usually while seated, and persist and get worse during the night often leading to insomnia. This may lead to typically irritable and tired behavior during the day, especially on the part of children. RLS tends to begin slowly then increase in frequency and severity. Sometimes it affects the arms as well as the legs. There is no known specific cause for RLS, which seems most often to affect people middle aged and up. There may be a genetic propensity, although a specific genetic link has not been identified. Some medications may also play a role.
Other conditions have symptoms similar to RLS, which makes it more difficult to diagnose. In order to clearly define some parameters for this condition the
National Institutes of Health specifies four criteria that must be present:
- Symptoms start or get worse in the evening or at night
- Strong desire to move the legs
- Relief occurs with walking
- Symptoms start or worsen during periods of inactivity
You are more apt to have RLS if you suffer kidney disease,
diabetes or have an iron deficiency. It is not considered a serious or life threatening condition, but it often leads to insomnia and the inability to stay alert during daytime hours. Often the unpleasant sensations that are experienced can be overcome by getting up and moving, but this can lead to wakefulness and decreased sleep quality.
It is difficult to treat a condition that is so difficult to diagnose because of such ambiguous symptoms that mimic other conditions or diseases, but the following may be helpful at reducing unpleasant sensations:
- Gentle stretching exercises
- Massage
- Warm relaxing baths
If you have annoying symptoms of RLS, call
Dr. Blaakman and
Upstate Footcare's staff at (877) 941-3338. He is sure to have some recommendations for you to help relieve the effects of RLS.
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001810/http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/restless-legs-syndrome-rlshttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001810/
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