What is Restless Leg Syndrome?

There’s nothing like the feeling of crawling into the cool comfort of your bed after a long day of life. Without warning, just as you are drifting off you start to have a tingling sensation in your legs. It begins to feel as though spiders are crawling all over your calves and feet. While you know there are no spiders in your bed you feel the urge to throw off the covers and get out of bed. Eventually the sensation becomes to much to bear so you jump out of bed and walk around, trying to get the sensation to subside. As you pace the floor the tingling sensations begin to disappear and you begin to believe that you’ll be able to get some sleep after all. This is what is known as restless leg syndrome. 

Everyday millions of people all around the world suffer from the symptoms of restless leg syndrome. This health condition, also known as Ekbom’s Syndrome, normally strikes around bedtime or after being asleep for a half-hour or so. Restless leg syndrome normally only affects the lower legs and feet but in more severe forms of the condition the thighs and arms can be affected as well. For those who suffer the more extreme symptoms the feeling of crawling up and down their legs and arms can make sleep impossible. 

Besides the tingling crawling sensations restless leg syndrome symptoms can also include involuntary muscle contractions which cause sudden leg jerks. Along with these involuntary muscle spasms there can also be numbness along different areas of the legs. This can be strange because although there are numb spots on your legs there is still the crawling sensation on other parts of the leg. 

There has been much research into the origins of restless leg syndrome but the cause remains a mystery. Scientists do believe that the root cause lies in the chemistry of the brain and how it sends signals to the outlying parts of the body. Men and women both experience restless leg syndrome, but it seems that women who are pregnant do suffer from symptoms of RLS more than the general population. It is also believed that restless leg syndrome can be passed down through the generations among family members. 

Everyone who suffers from restless leg syndrome experiences a wide range of symptoms. Some people have only mild symptoms that can be relieved simply by walking around the house. The more severe the symptoms of restless leg syndrome the greater the need for ongoing treatment and medications. Contacting your doctor if you suffer from any of the symptoms of RLS is the first step in treating this condition and finding the relief you need.