An Introduction to Restless Leg Syndrome

Recent news stories and television commercials have brought home the discomfort of Restless Leg Syndrome (commonly known as simply RLS) to everybody. While of course those who have suffered with the disorder for many years know only too well the ways in which RLS can disrupt life. As it becomes more widely known people may find the root cause of their mysterious symptoms and begin to ask questions when they see their physician. More importantly they will come to see their symptoms as real and not imagined and they are not alone. 

The easiest description of just how RLS affects a person is to say that it is a disorder in which you are quite simply unable to relax. Whenever a person sits down or lays down at night their legs begin to feel like pins and needles are being stuck into them or experience a creepy or crawling feeling and the need to constantly move their legs, making it all but impossible to sleep. This alone can explain why one of the chief effects of RLS is insomnia. 

As research has progressed it has been seen that many people with RLS also have other family members with this disorder and that there is thus almost certainly a genetic element to the disorder. This genetic link is important when it comes to diagnosing children because they frequently do not vocalize their pain or discomfort in the same way as adults and the disorder is frequently misdiagnosed, as arthritis, muscle cramps, stress and insomnia and attention is often focused on the child’s irritability, inattentiveness and restlessness as what is referred to as merely growing pains.

Also, at times pregnant women find themselves suffering from the symptoms of RLS throughout their pregnancy with the most intense symptoms of the condition coming in the final trimester. But, because of the pregnancy, medication is frequently not recommended until the last two or three months of their pregnancy when the effects on the unborn baby will be minimal. 

The first concern of anyone suffering from RLS must be diagnosis because it is only after you have been diagnosed that treatment can become the focus and relief begins.

Treatments for RLS can vary widely from one person to the next and with the severity of the symptoms being experienced. Medication is frequently prescribed for severe cases with Mirapex and Requip being two of the most well known prescribed medicines. For people who do not wish to use medication there are alternative methods like acupuncture and a variety of homeopathic remedies. In addition, changes in lifestyle like using hot and cold packs, exercise and relaxation may also be used to provide symptomatic relief.

While it might seem appropriate to find the best relief for your symptoms on your own you ought to consult your doctor first because RLS can sometimes appear as a secondary condition and result from another disorder or condition as, for instance, when it arises during pregnancy. Making use of your own plan may lead to further problems and thus not result in the relief you are seeking. 

Because each person is unique individual so too are the symptoms we experience and an understanding of this fact is vital when it comes to a disorder like RLS. It is only with sound knowledge of this disorder that proper treatment can be given and the leg pain which accompanies RLS will become a thing of the past.