What Is Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless legs syndrome (often called restless leg syndrome or RLS) is a disorder that causes an overwhelming urge to move the legs, usually to alleviate unpleasant sensations.
Also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, RLS occurs when the legs are at rest. It is typically most severe in the evening and night, potentially disrupting a person’s sleep and affecting daily activities.
Types of Restless Legs Syndrome
There are two types of restless legs syndrome: primary and secondary.
- Primary, or idiopathic, RLS has no known cause, but it can run in families, meaning there’s a genetic component. People with familial RLS typically experience an earlier onset — before age 45 — and slower disease progression.
- Secondary RLS occurs as a complication of another disease or disorder, such as iron deficiency, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, or as a medication side effect.
Signs and Symptoms
People with RLS experience uncomfortable feelings in their legs when sitting or lying down. People with RLS frequently describe these feelings as:
- Creeping
- Crawling
- Pulling
- Itching
- Tingling
- Burning
- Aching
- Painful
- Hard to describe
Children may identify symptoms differently from adults. They may describe their leg discomfort as an uncontrollable urge to move, wiggle, or kick.
These sensations usually occur in the lower leg (calf), but can less commonly affect the arms, and, rarely, the chest or head. Although the sensations can occur on just one side of the body, they most often affect both sides. They can also alternate between sides. The sensations range in severity from being uncomfortable to irritating to painful.
Some individuals experience symptoms throughout the day, but the symptoms will always be worse at night.
In general, getting up and walking will immediately relieve the symptoms; but they usually return as soon as you settle back into a restful state.
People with mild cases may experience symptoms a few times a month, while those with more severe cases may have symptoms every night.[4]
Causes and Risk Factors
While the direct cause of RLS is often unknown, changes in the brain’s signaling pathways likely contribute to the disease. It’s thought that impaired transmission of dopamine signals in the brain’s basal ganglia may play a role.
When the cause is unknown, the disorder is called primary RLS. When restless legs syndrome is caused by another disease or condition, or is a side effect of certain medications, the disorder is known as secondary RLS.