Restless leg syndrome may sound strange, like a disease someone made up. But it is very real, and studies show that somewhere between 5 and 15% of people live with it.
What Is Restless Leg Syndrome?
Restless leg syndrome is a neurological condition that makes your legs feel uncomfortable when you are sitting or lying down. Your legs feel like you need to move them around, and, in fact, moving them is one “cure” for restless leg syndrome, as it is a good way to alleviate the prickly feeling, at least temporarily.
How Can I Describe It?
A cure for restless leg syndrome should be simple, but it isn’t. In fact, even describing it can be difficult. They may refer to it as a “creeping” feeling, or of “jittery or tingling.” Some call it in “aching”, though it is very different from muscle cramps or general leg aches. Many people don’t know how to define it at all – but it is generally not compared to a muscle cramp or numbness. Whether or not they can define it to their satisfaction, those with restless leg want a treatment.
Common Characteristics
There are several things that sufferers of restless leg wanting a cure have in common. These include the fact that it usually start during inactivity, is relieved by motion, worsens in the evening or night, and that some people also have nighttime leg twitching.
Usually, there is no notice of it at all, and then it will begin after a time of lying down or sitting, like in a movie theater, car, or plane.
It often feels better if you get up and move around. It can be just stretching, or walking around, exercising, or jiggling the legs. The syndrome is named after this overwhelming desire to move the legs. A cure for restless legs is to give in to the urge to move around, whether in small ways – just moving the legs around, shifting in your seat, or in bigger, bolder movements.
Most people feel the symptoms at night, and don’t have it at all in the morning or throughout the day.
There is another condition that can be associated with restless leg syndrome. It is called “periodic limb movements of sleep” (PLMS). It is a syndrome where the person involuntarily moves their legs – flexing and extending – all night long, without knowing they are doing it.
Sometimes the symptoms will be severe, other times they can even go away for a while. It can affect a person of any age, though sufferers tend to start having symptoms as an adult. Up to half of those who have it have a genetic link to relative with it. Regardless, whether the syndrome is mild or exasperating, finding a cure for restless leg is sometimes helped by finding the cause.
What Causes Restless Leg Syndrome?
Experts have concluded that there is no known cause in many cases. They suspect it is related to an imbalance of a chemical in the brain called dopamine. It sends messaged through the brain to control the movements of muscles.