If you simply can’t stop your legs from shaking back and forth, there is great news for you. Medications for restless leg syndrome (RLS) are now amongst the most sought after treatments for this disorder. It will be better to first familiarize yourself with the symptoms and characteristic descriptions associated with RLS. In this way, you can find the best treatment for you. Consulting a specialist is helpful but it will also serve you to acquaint yourself with the nature of RLS so as to better understand the drug treatments.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder associated with unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move them whether lying or sitting down. RLS sensations are described by RLS patients as a burning feeling, creeping, tugging, or “like insects crawling inside the legs” and they begin to feel better when they shake their legs back and forth. These sensations vary in severity from uncomfortable to irritating to painful. The most distinctive aspect of this condition happens especially when a patient is lying down or trying to relax. This is why most people with RLS find it difficult to get regular sleep.

According to clinical studies, patients complain about the significant consequences of RLS when it is left untreated. This is because it eventually becomes associated with the feeling of exhaustion and daytime fatigue. Some report that suffering from RLS disables them to the point that they cannot function well at school or at work. They feel exhausted all the time and tend to develop an impaired sense of memory that leads to a poor level of concentration. They also tend to develop poor personal relations. In addition to this, researchers estimate that there are over 12 million Americans who suffer from RLS symptoms. There are others who estimate an even higher occurrence because RLS is thought to be commonly misdiagnosed.

Another problem with estimating the incidence of RLS is that there are many people who are scared and hesitant to seek medical attention. They tend to think that their case is too mild and will not be taken seriously. This is a common mistake. RLS is very common but will not always go away without seeking help. Being unaware of the treatments may eventually cause the worsening of the condition which may lead to complications such as insomnia, nervousness, stress, muscle cramps or arthritis.

Considering the medical point of view, the FDA takes part in the regulation of drugs for those who suffer from RLS. They provide for the safety of sufferers and assure that the drugs they approve will not hurt the user if taken properly. On May 5, 2005, the FDA approved Ropinirole as the first drug treatment for RLS. In 2006, the FDA also approved Pramipexole. Four other major classes of drugs were clinically proven to be helpful in treating RLS symptoms and include the Dopaminergic agents, sedatives, anticonvulsants and pain relievers. One must consult a physician prior to usage of these drugs as there are other things your doctor might want to consider while trying to help you with your treatment.

When dealing with RLS, don’t forget to take into consideration your own personal solution to the problem. Many people find that a little exercise or yoga works just fine for them and these possibilities should not be discounted. A self-help approach is sometimes the best means to a cure. Doctors often suggest that patients be responsible in checking their own state of health and seek some simple solutions first. A simple change in your lifestyle such as eliminating coffee, cigarettes or alcohol can all be a great help. With these simple changes, you may find the need for RLS drugs disappears and you may soon be back on the road to a well balanced and healthy life.

Those of you who have been feeling a bit shy to admit that you can’t stop shaking your legs can now rest easy. There is a treatment for restless legs syndrome and you won’t have to hide your problem anymore! It is understandable that some people might be afraid to admit that they suffer from restless leg syndrome or RLS. It is probably the result of a misperception that these symptoms are unusual or abnormal. Actually , this is largely untrue. RLS affects many people and is actually quite common. Not only is there nothing to be ashamed about, there is now a treatment to cure this problem.

There are actually several options available for people attempting to alleviate this problem. First, find a healthcare provider to treat your RLS. There is a Healthcare Provider Directory that has been developed for your needs and it is provided by the RLS Foundation. This directory provides a complete a listing of those medical practitioners who have expressed their interest in treating RLS patients. The Foundation, however, does not endorse any of these providers. It is up to you to decide which doctor you would like to see. Second, there are support groups who are devoted to assisting RLS patients and the members are very familiar with the names and contact numbers of healthcare providers in your specific area. If you are interested, you may visit a Support Group Directory online and find the group closest to you. The third option is in the hands of your local medical society. You may ask your local healthcare provider to give you a referral to the best doctors who specialize in treating RLS. This may be a sleep specialist or a neurologist. Restless legs syndrome, RLS, is a sensory motor neurological movement disorder which affects about 12-15 million Americans. Your brain is the primary factor in the development of this condition and only very few healthcare providers really know the details of this syndrome.

One of the most frequently asked questions among concerned individuals is “What are the treatment options for RLS?” Both medication and non-drug treatments are strongly recommended. From the medical point of view, the FDA takes part in the regulation of medicated drugs for those who suffer from RLS. On May 5, 2005, the FDA was able to approve Ropinirole to be the first drug for treatment of restless legs syndrome. In 2006, the FDA also approved Pramipexole. Later on, it was also found that there are four other major classes of drugs which were clinically proven to help in the treatment of RLS symptoms. These drugs were the dopaminergic agents, sedatives, anticonvulsants and pain relievers. Prior to using these drugs, however, one must consult a physician since there are other things your doctor might want to consider while trying to help you go through your treatment.

In addition to these medications, there are other things you can consider when dealing with RLS. A self-help approach is sometimes taken for granted but can be the most successful way to eliminate the symptoms. Healthcare practitioners and even specialists strongly suggest that you be responsible in checking your own state of health. For example, if there is an underlying iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency or folate deficiency, it is up to you to go to a doctor and get this checked out. It is widely known, among the medical field, that iron deficiencies in humans are an essential cofactor in the development of RLS. Also, it is vital to look at the medications you may be taking at present. Drugs which are used to treat high blood pressure, heart conditions, nausea, colds, allergies and depression can complicate and worsen RLS.

A change in your lifestyle such as eliminating nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol intake are a great help in maintaining a well balanced and healthy state. Determining the most appropriate and best exercise like walking, stretching, taking a hot or cold bath, massaging, acupressure or relaxation techniques can also be part of this lifestyle change. Once you get started on these treatments, you are sure to find a cure and to begin living a better life.

What the heck is making me feel like I need to move my legs back and forth everytime I lay down? Have you ever felt like you were more comfortable in bed when you were paddling your feet as if to be swimming across the English Channel? Maybe you were an Olympic swimmer in a past life and you don’t remember it! Actually, that’s not the problem you are having. You may not be familiar with the symptoms and causes of what is known as Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS? RLS is a condition which is quite interesting and which has also been referred to as “Jimmy Legs”, “Jumpy Legs” or “Heebeejeebees”. The scientific name for this syndrome is Ekbom syndrome.

The movements associated with restless leg syndrome are described by sufferers as an uncontrollable urge to move their limbs in order to stop the feeling of “uncomfortable nervousness” or “unusual buzzing” in their legs. Although it does tend to be focussed in the legs most of the time, it can still happen in the arms as well. Moving the affected body part relieves the person’s suffering but only temporarily. The irritable sensations which cause the patient to move in the first place may return almost immediately when they stop. The overall RLS condition often starts in early childhood and is a progressive disorder that often gets worse when it is not given medical attention. There is good news, however, for the many sufferers of this condition! Updates on the treatment for restless leg syndrome have recently provided positive results and symptoms have been shown to disappear permanently once the treatment begins. Thank goodness you can finally stop that incessant kicking! You probably thought you were going to be paddling across an imaginary ocean for the rest of your life!

Although certain treatments have proven successful, the causes of RLS are still a mystery. Patients do not tend to be to distraught about the fact that the causes are unknown. They are just glad to be rid of the problem and to get on with their lives. Different health institutes, however, such as the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and the National Institutes of Health, have conducted serious research to try and determine the causes.

Nonetheless, scientists continue to admit that no one really knows for sure what the exact cause of RLS is. They do, however, point toward the dopaminergic system in the body and the presence of iron deficiencies in the blood as an essential cofactor in the development of RLS. Still, they can’t determine the exact cause. It was also found that over 20% of all cases of RLS are associated with the iron deficiency in the blood. Other associations included folate deficiency, diabetes, thyroid problems, uremia, Parkinson’s disease, peripheral neuropathy, and certain auto-immune disorders. Once again, treatment of the condition now exists and often eliminates the RLS so the exact causes tend to remain somewhat unimportant to suffering patients. They just want to get better! If you are among these people suffering from RLS, you can now visit your local sleep clinic and ask about the treatments available.

For the sake of those interested in the scientific progress, it has recently become a hypothesis that RLS may possibly be caused by genetic factors. Researchers are now looking for the gene or genes that cause RLS because they have discovered that RLS runs in families. Pregnancy also seems to have a significant effect on people who tend to suffer from this condition more readily. It was found that close to 25% of women who develop RLS are pregnant or suffer from iron deficiency but the symptoms consequently disappear after giving birth. Patients who are undergoing dialysis for end-stage renal disease are also prone to developing RLS. It would seem that, apart from the genetic explanation, that there are still many other factors that scientists are considering for further research. Whatever direction their research may go in, it is great news to learn that RLS can now be treated and that the treatment is only a phone call away. Whether you know the causes of RLS or not, you can get yourself on the road to a solution in no time. You can alleviate yourself of this condition and begin to enjoy a more happy and healthy lifestyle in no time at all.

How do I know if I have Restless Leg Syndrome? Am I just nervous or do I have a serious condition? Many people who move their legs about during the day and even at night are surprised to find out that they actually have a serious condition. Still, how do we know if we have RLS or not? For a better understanding of restless leg syndrome among common people like us, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) plus other institutes such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have conducted serious research. Working in laboratories at the NIH and at different medical institutions across the country, they have determined a set of symptoms that can help you to know if you have RLS or not.

At the NINDS and the NIH, the objectives have been to research on the causes of this unusual condition and to find more accurate methods in the diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome. They have also made efforts to discover certain ways to prevent RLS. Of course, it is very difficult to understand something until we know all the pertinent details about it. It is especially scary to a sufferer of this condition when they cannot determine what they have even in the presence of a specialist. Have you ever been in this scary situation before? If yes, it is precisely the reason behind the continuous research that is being conducted in major sleep clinics around the US which specialize in RLS.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder which is characterized by unpleasant sensations in certain parts of the body, specifically the legs. An uncontrollable urge to move even while sleeping can be felt by the person who is suffering from this phenomenon. Once their leg begins to move, they may feel relief but only for a short period of time. The sensation repeats itself over and over especially when the person is lying down. The sensation is described by many to be like a burning feeling or a creeping or a “tugging”. Others have described it like a feeling that insects are crawling inside their legs and the feeling varies in its severity from just an uncomfortable sensation to an irritatingly painful one.

Being familiar and knowing the symptoms of RLS, either primary or secondary, is critical to dealing with it properly. For those of you who are unaware of the symptoms but may strongly feel that you are suffering from RLS, check these symptoms in yourself. When you sit down or lie down, you may have a strong desire which is almost impossible to resist. This desire may be to move your legs to remove an uncomfortable feeling. The sensation is very uncomfortable and irritating but, once you move your legs, you will feel better but only for a while.

Sometimes, even if you are awake, an involuntary leg movement can be experienced. You may even find it difficult to go on with your normal daytime activities because of the embarrassment caused by these symptoms. In severe cases, people with RLS find it a very disabling condition especially during long stretches of inactivity such as car trips, airline travel, meetings or watching movies. Voluntarily moving the legs usually brings temporary relief from the unpleasant sensations but is far from being a cure. The bad thing is that, in most cases especially among children, a doctor’s visit will often result in a misdiagnosis because of the unfamiliar nature and cause of this condition.

If you can identify with most of these symptoms, then you may have RLS. If you do have RLS, don’t be scared! You are not alone! Statistics show that up to 8% of the U.S. population is suffering from RLS in some form or another. Many people acquire a mild form of the disorder but RLS severely affects the lives of thousands of individuals especially when they fail to get proper medical attention. You can do your part now by finding out everything you can about RLS and then determining some self-help approaches to alleviate yourself of the condition. RLS can become detrimental to normal sleeping patterns over time but it can also be treated so as to help you return to a normal lifestyle.

Have you ever seen someone who is sleeping and their legs are moving around continuously? Maybe you thought this was something like sleep walking or “swimming in your sleep”. We may find it funny but, what is often mistaken as a joke is a serious condition called Restless Legs Syndrome. If you have seen this same sleeping situation before, do not just ignore it. The person suffering from this condition may not be aware of these movements and may badly need your help with their sleeping behavior. This condition is normally the result of a restless leg syndrome, (RLS) or what is also referred to as “Jimmy Legs”, “Jumpy Legs”, “Heebeejeebees” or “Jimmy Jams”. In more scientific terminology, this syndrome of restless legs is also known as the “Ekbom syndrome”, ” Wittmaack-Ekbom syndrome” or “anxietas tibialis”.

The movements associated with restless leg syndrome are sometimes described as orchestra, spare legs, “the kicks” or sewing machine foot and are caused by an uncontrollable urge to move the limbs in order to stop the feeling of uncomfortable pain or unusual sensations in a person’s body. These occur most of the time in the legs. Moving the affected body part relieves a person’s suffering from restless leg syndrome but the sensations only stop temporarily and may return immediately. RLS may start in early childhood and is a progressive disorder especially if it is not given medical attention immediately. It is still good news for many who are suffering from this condition that the treatment provides positive results as symptoms have been shown to disappear permanently once the treatment begins.
It is important to know the types of restless leg syndrome in order to easily diagnose it. RLS is either primary or secondary. Primary RLS is considered idiopathic, meaning its causes are not yet known or scientifically determined by medical researchers. Primary RLS begins before you reach the age of 40 or 45. It can even occur as early as the first year of life but the progress is often slow and may be observed to disappear for a couple of months or even a few years. It often continues to progress later on and worsens as the person reaches the age of 40 to 45. On the other hand, RLS among children has often been misdiagnosed as growing pains and this has lead to more serious
complications for the growing teen.

The more severe type of restless leg syndrome is secondary RLS. This problem shows itself on a daily basis and can attack in very sudden situations. Most of the time, it occurs after the age of 40. However, it can occur earlier in life just like with the primary RLS. Research and clinical studies suggest that the symptoms of secondary RLS may be associated with specific medical conditions such as iron deficiency or the use of certain drugs. It was also found that a person who is iron deficient is more prone to acquire secondary RLS. As a matter of fact, statistics showed a rate of over 20% of all cases of RLS to be caused by this deficiency. Other conditions which are associated with it include pregnancy, having varicose veins especially among women, folate deficiency, sleep apnea, diabetes, thyroid problems, uremia, Parkinson’s disease, peripheral neuropathy, and certain auto-immune disorders like Celiac Disease, Sjögren’s syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. Again, treatment of the underlying condition often eliminates the RLS.

Scientists admit that, up to this moment, no one knows for sure the exact causes of RLS. Research on the dopaminergic system and iron deficiency in human bodies has already been established which may eventualy be found to be an essential cofactor in the development of RLS. Scientists, however, still cannot determine an accurate explanation for this problem.

A Lifestyle change and other self-discipline approaches can help in the decrease of the known symptoms. For instance, people should take time to experiment about their lifestyles and try to determine what changes could be made to eliminate their RLS symptoms. Sometimes a simple change such as exercise can tend to make a big difference. Finding the appropriate and best exercise plus eliminating caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, may help to eliminate RLS symptom attacks. Whatever the case, it is good to be aware of this problem if it affects you and to learn as much as you can about it so that you may attempt to alleviate it and return to a more normal lifestyle in the near future.