Restless legs syndrome - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a condition that causes an uncontrollable urge to move your legs, usually because of an uncomfortable ... COVID-19:Advice,updatesandvaccineoptions Weareopenforsafein-personcare. Learnmore: MayoClinicfactsaboutcoronavirusdisease2019(COVID-19) OurCOVID-19patientandvisitorguidelines,plustrustedhealthinformation Lateston COVID-19vaccination bysite: Arizonapatientvaccinationupdates Arizona, Floridapatientvaccinationupdates Florida, Rochesterpatientvaccinationupdates Rochesterand MayoClinicHealthSystempatientvaccinationupdates MCHS Skiptositenavigation SkiptoContent ThiscontentdoesnothaveanEnglishversion.ThiscontentdoesnothaveanArabicversion. SectionsforRestlesslegssyndromeSymptoms&causesDiagnosis&treatmentDoctors&departmentsCareatMayoClinic Print OverviewRestlesslegssyndrome(RLS)isaconditionthatcausesanuncontrollableurgetomoveyourlegs,usuallybecauseofanuncomfortablesensation.Ittypicallyhappensintheeveningornighttimehourswhenyou'resittingorlyingdown.Movingeasestheunpleasantfeelingtemporarily. Restlesslegssyndrome,alsoknownasWillis-Ekbomdisease,canbeginatanyageandgenerallyworsensasyouage.Itcandisruptsleep,whichinterfereswithdailyactivities. Simpleself-carestepsandlifestylechangesmayhelprelievesymptoms.MedicationsalsohelpmanypeoplewithRLS.Products&ServicesBook:MayoClinicBookofHomeRemediesBook:MayoClinicFamilyHealthBook,5thEditionNewsletter:MayoClinicHealthLetter—DigitalEditionShowmoreproductsfromMayoClinic SymptomsThechiefsymptomisanurgetomovethelegs.CommonaccompanyingcharacteristicsofRLSinclude: Sensationsthatbeginafterrest.Thesensationtypicallybeginsafteryou'vebeenlyingdownorsittingforanextendedtime,suchasinacar,airplaneormovietheater. Reliefwithmovement.ThesensationofRLSlessenswithmovement,suchasstretching,jigglingyourlegs,pacingorwalking. Worseningofsymptomsintheevening.Symptomsoccurmainlyatnight. Nighttimelegtwitching.RLSmaybeassociatedwithanother,morecommonconditioncalledperiodiclimbmovementofsleep,whichcausesyourlegstotwitchandkick,possiblythroughoutthenight,whileyousleep. PeopletypicallydescribeRLSsymptomsasabnormal,unpleasantsensationsintheirlegsorfeet.Theyusuallyhappenonbothsidesofthebody.Lesscommonly,thesensationsaffectthearms. Thesensations,whichgenerallyoccurwithinthelimbratherthanontheskin,aredescribedas: Crawling Creeping Pulling Throbbing Aching Itching Electric Sometimesthesensationsaredifficulttoexplain.PeoplewithRLSusuallydon'tdescribetheconditionasamusclecrampornumbness.Theydo,however,consistentlydescribethedesiretomovetheirlegs. It'scommonforsymptomstofluctuateinseverity.Sometimes,symptomsdisappearforperiodsoftime,thencomeback. WhentoseeadoctorSomepeoplewithRLSneverseekmedicalattentionbecausetheyworrytheywon'tbetakenseriously.ButRLScaninterferewithyoursleepandcausedaytimedrowsinessandaffectyourqualityoflife.TalkwithyourdoctorifyouthinkyoumayhaveRLS. RequestanAppointmentatMayoClinic CausesOften,there'snoknowncauseforRLS.Researcherssuspecttheconditionmaybecausedbyanimbalanceofthebrainchemicaldopamine,whichsendsmessagestocontrolmusclemovement. HereditySometimesRLSrunsinfamilies,especiallyiftheconditionstartsbeforeage40.ResearchershaveidentifiedsitesonthechromosomeswheregenesforRLSmaybepresent. PregnancyPregnancyorhormonalchangesmaytemporarilyworsenRLSsignsandsymptoms.SomewomengetRLSforthefirsttimeduringpregnancy,especiallyduringtheirlasttrimester.However,symptomsusuallydisappearafterdelivery. RiskfactorsRLScandevelopatanyage,evenduringchildhood.Thedisorderismorecommonwithincreasingageandmorecommoninwomenthaninmen. RLSusuallyisn'trelatedtoaseriousunderlyingmedicalproblem.However,itsometimesaccompaniesotherconditions,suchas: Peripheralneuropathy.Thisdamagetothenervesinyourhandsandfeetissometimesduetochronicdiseasessuchasdiabetesandalcoholism. Irondeficiency.Evenwithoutanemia,irondeficiencycancauseorworsenRLS.Ifyouhaveahistoryofbleedingfromyourstomachorbowels,experienceheavymenstrualperiods,orrepeatedlydonateblood,youmayhaveirondeficiency. Kidneyfailure.Ifyouhavekidneyfailure,youmayalsohaveirondeficiency,oftenwithanemia.Whenkidneysdon'tfunctionproperly,ironstoresinyourbloodcandecrease.ThisandotherchangesinbodychemistrymaycauseorworsenRLS. Spinalcordconditions.LesionsonthespinalcordasaresultofdamageorinjuryhavebeenlinkedtoRLS.Havinghadanesthesiatothespinalcord,suchasaspinalblock,alsoincreasestheriskofdevelopingRLS. ComplicationsAlthoughRLSdoesn'tleadtootherseriousconditions,symptomscanrangefrombarelybothersometoincapacitating.ManypeoplewithRLSfinditdifficulttofallorstayasleep. SevereRLScancausemarkedimpairmentinlifequalityandcanresultindepression.Insomniamayleadtoexcessivedaytimedrowsiness,butRLSmayinterferewithnapping. ByMayoClinicStaff RestlesslegssyndromecareatMayoClinic RequestanAppointmentatMayoClinic Diagnosis&treatment Jan.21,2020 Print Shareon:FacebookTwitter Showreferences Restlesslegssyndrome.NationalInstituteofNeurologicalDisordersandStroke.http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/restless_legs/detail_restless_legs.htm.AccessedNov.20,2019. OndoWG.Clinicalfeaturesanddiagnosisofrestlesslegssyndromeandperiodiclimbmovementdisorderinadults.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search.AccessedNov.20,2019. SilberMH.Treatmentofrestlesslegssyndromeandperiodiclimbmovementdisorderinadults.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search.AccessedNov.20,2019. Garcia-BorregueroD,etal.Guidelinesforthefirst-linetreatmentofrestlesslegssyndrome/Willis-Ekbomdisease,preventionandtreatmentofdopaminergicaugmentation:AcombinedtaskforceoftheIRLSSG,EURLSSG,andtheRLS-foundation.SleepMedicine.2016;doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2016.01.017. WinkelmanJW,etal.Practiceguidelinesummary:Treatmentofrestlesslegssyndromeinadults—Reportoftheguidelinedevelopment,disseminationandimplementationsubcommitteeoftheAmericanAcademyofNeurology.Neurology.2016;doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000003388. SilberMH,etal.Theappropriateuseofopioidsinthetreatmentofrefractoryrestlesslegssyndrome.MayoClinicProceedings.2018;doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.11.007. Trenkwalder,etal.Comorbidities,treatmentandpathophysiologyinrestlesslegssyndrome.TheLancetNeurology.2018;doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30311-9. Restlesslegssyndrome.GeneticsHomeReference.https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/restless-legs-syndrome.AccessedNov.22,2019. RigginEA.AllscriptsEPSi.MayoClinic.Oct.29,2019. AskMayoExpert.Restlesslegssyndrome(RLS)/Willis-Ekbomdisease(WED).MayoClinic;2017. XuXM,etal.Complementaryandalternativetherapiesforrestlesslegssyndrome:Anevidence-basedsystematicreview.SleepMedicineReviews.2018;doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2017.06.003. Findasleepfacilitynearyou.AmericanAcademyofSleepMedicine.http://www.sleepeducation.org/find-a-facility.AccessedDec.3,2019. Related MayoClinicMinute:Restlesslegssyndromeinkids AssociatedProcedures EEG(electroencephalogram) Products&Services Book:MayoClinicBookofHomeRemedies Book:MayoClinicFamilyHealthBook,5thEdition Newsletter:MayoClinicHealthLetter—DigitalEdition ShowmoreproductsandservicesfromMayoClinic RestlesslegssyndromeSymptoms&causesDiagnosis&treatmentDoctors&departmentsCareatMayoClinic Advertisement MayoClinicdoesnotendorsecompaniesorproducts.Advertisingrevenuesupportsournot-for-profitmission. Advertising&Sponsorship Policy Opportunities AdChoices MayoClinicPress Checkoutthesebest-sellersandspecialoffersonbooksandnewslettersfromMayoClinic. TryMayoClinicHealthLetter-getFREEbookNEW-BackandNeckHealthMayoCliniconDigestiveHealthNEW-LiveYoungerLongerSimple,effectiveHomeRemedies CON-20377146 PatientCare&HealthInformation Diseases&Conditions Restlesslegssyndrome