Restless Legs Syndrome Legs with urge to move

World RLS Day: Restless legs with urge to move

09/22/2014

For most people it shows „Restless legs syndrome“ only at night: unpleasant feelings in the legs such as tingling, tension or pain, which cause the affected person to want to move. On the 23rd of September, the World RLS Day will take place to draw attention to the neurological disease.

Symptoms usually show up at night
This is evident in many people „Restless legs syndrome“ (RLS) only at night. Pulling, tensing, tingling, trembling, pain, warmth or other uncomfortable feeling in the legs make a restful night's sleep often impossible. But the symptoms usually subside quickly, when those affected get up and take a few steps. Therefore, the urge to move at night is so intense for some patients that they suffer from exhaustion, listlessness, and fatigue during the day. At the „World RLS DAY“ should be made internationally aware of the chronic neurological disease.

Patients find too little sleep
Up to seven percent of the world population is said to be from the problem of „restless legs“ be affected and therefore do not find enough sleep. As physicians emphasize again and again, people who sleep too little, but their risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, overweight or obesity or diabetes. Around one-third of RLS-affected patients have such severe symptoms that they need medication to manage their everyday lives at work and in social life.

Improvement of sleep hygiene
There is still a great need for improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. For example, a survey of nearly 4,200 patients in Canada, the US, and ten European countries two years ago found that more than two-thirds of respondents said they had waited three or more years for a correct diagnosis from the time the first symptoms appeared. There is no cure for RLS. In the treatment is often an improvement in sleep quality in the foreground. In addition to medicines, natural measures to improve sleep hygiene can also contribute. In addition to light sports are also relaxation techniques such as autogenic training, yoga, meditation or progressive muscle relaxation. Some people also rely on Chinese therapy for restless legs.

Causes of RLS not clarified clearly
Basically, RLS can meet people of all ages. The causes of the disease are not yet clear. It is suspected that a malfunction of the nervous system metabolism plays a role or in part heredity. In addition, certain changes in genes could increase the likelihood of disease. Possible causes of secondary RLS include iron deficiency, renal dysfunction or neurological disorders. Lilo Habersack, CEO of RLS e.V. German Restless Legs Association based in Munich, said on the occasion of the World RLS Day: „There is also a great need for further research and development into effective treatments to help people live a tolerable life, and we have been working on this for many years.“ (Ad)