WHAT IS RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME AND ITS SYMPTOMS?
Restless legs Syndrome (RLS) (also called Ekbom’s syndrome) is a poorly understood disorder affecting up to 5% of the general population. Characteristics of RLS include the following: • RLS is sometimes described as a sense of unease and weariness in the lower leg that is relieved by movement. It is often accompanied by an inability to fall asleep. • Patients may describe the symptoms as “pulling, searing, drawing, or crawling” beneath the skin, usually in the calf area. • Itching and pain may be present. • About 80% of patients with RLS also experience periodic limb movement disorder, also called PLMD (formerly known as nocturnal myoclonus). In PLMD, the leg muscles involuntarily and repetitively contract and jerk every 20 to 40 seconds during sleep. The contractions occasionally arouse patients, but often they are unaware of the interruption. (It should be noted that PLMD is a specific disorder and only about 30% of people with it also have RLS.) • These sensations may also affect th
