Restless Legs Syndrome: Neurological Disorder

Nowadays, restless legs syndrome is one of the most common neurological disorders. It is characterized by a very annoying tingling and pricking in the legs and the need to move them to find relief. It is a condition that affects the night’s rest and which also has an evident impact on the patient’s emotional state.

It is possible that this syndrome, also known as Wittmaack-Ekbom syndrome, to some part of the population may seem strange, but harmless. How can a “disease” be considered a simple tingling in the lower limbs? How can such a seemingly simple symptomatology be diagnosed as a neurological disorder?

Those who suffer from it, those who live it daily know well that this reality, this condition, has very little harmless. For some patients, restless legs syndrome is tolerable; for others, on the contrary, it means not being able to sleep well during the night, not being able to sit when evening comes and feeling more and more irritated, physically and mentally exhausted.

It is therefore not a trivial matter. We are faced with a problem that affects more than 10% of the population. A chronic disease that has no cure, but several types of treatments.

Restless Legs Syndrome: What Are the Symptoms?

Restless Legs Syndrome has no gender, no culture, no age. In fact, it is common that it also affects children, although on average it occurs around the age of 40 or 45. Symptoms associated with this disease are as follows:

• Annoying tingling sensation in the extremities. It is most common on the legs, but can also occur on the arms.
• Many patients describe them as “electric shocks”, others say it is as if they have ants under their skin.
• The disturbances arrive in the afternoon and intensify during the night, especially when the person rests, whether sitting or lying in bed.
• In order to relieve the burning or tingling sensation so intense, the patient tends to move or shake the legs.
• Symptoms are quite variable, there are times when they are bearable and others when you feel like you can’t do it. The inability to sleep during the night, coupled with nervousness and exhaustion can lead the person to a state of high anxiety.

It is important to point out that once these symptoms appear, they will not go away or weaken. On the contrary, they usually intensify.

What is the origin of restless legs syndrome?

As is often the case with most of the many ailments and health problems, the origin is unclear. However, it is known that it depends on genetic factors and that the mechanism that triggers the symptoms is found in the nervous system. That said, specialists identify several risk factors:

• The circuits that administer and control the dopamine mechanism in the basal ganglia areas do not function adequately.

• Iron deficiency anemia (iron deficiency) is another associated factor.
• Kidney failure and diabetes are diseases that usually cross with restless legs syndrome.
• Medicines such as antipsychotics, some antidepressants, and antihistamines can cause this syndrome as a side effect.
• Pregnant women can also suffer from restless legs syndrome in the third trimester of pregnancy.

What treatments are there for restless legs syndrome?

At this point, it is important to make a recommendation. If we have started experiencing tingling or discomfort in the legs during the night, do not wait yet to see our trusted doctor. It may be that the origin lies in a circulation problem or that we actually suffer from restless legs syndrome.

As we pointed out at the beginning, this is not a joke. What begins as mild and unimportant can undermine our quality of life and psychological health. The insomnia, exhaustion and mental nervousness that this disease brings with it are more than evident and must be treated as soon as possible through different strategies that will be prescribed by the specialists.

• The most used strategy in these cases is the pharmacological one: dopamine antagonists such as Ropinirole and antiepileptics such as Gabapentin are prescribed.
• Taking care of your sleep hygiene is another important recommendation.
• Leg massages and baths alternating between cold and hot water tend to relieve pain.
• There is a vibrating pillow called “Pad Relaxis” which is very effective for this ailment.

To conclude, we stress again that the only answer for this reality is the treatment of symptoms. As there is no cure, if you suffer from Restless Legs Syndrome, you should not hesitate to seek other methods and new therapies. Only in this way will we be able to find the most functional strategy for us, which will allow us to lead a normal life and enjoy a quality night’s rest.