Restless Legs (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: RLS

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) causes a powerful urge to move your legs. Your legs become uncomfortable when you are lying down or sitting. Some people describe it as a creeping, crawling, tingling or burning sensation. Moving makes your legs feel better, but not for long.

In most cases, there is no known cause for RLS. In other cases, RLS is caused by a disease or condition, such as anemia or pregnancy. Some medicines can also cause temporary RLS. Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol may make symptoms worse.

Lifestyle changes, such as regular sleep habits, relaxation techniques and moderate exercise during the day can help. If those don't work, medicines may reduce the symptoms of RLS.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

Restless Legs Syndrome(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/seniors/common-older/868.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/seniors/common-older/868.printerview.html
Restless Legs Syndrome(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/rls/rls_WhatIs.html
Restless Legs Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/restless_legs/restless_legs.htm

Overviews

Restless Leg Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/restless-legs-syndrome/DS00191/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Restless Legs Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/restless_legs/detail_restless_legs.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/piernas_inquietas.htm
Restless Legs Syndrome: Frequently Asked Questions(Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation) - http://www.rls.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=543&srcid=509

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Diagnosis of Restless Legs Syndrome(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/rls/rls_dor.html

Treatment

Medications to Treat Restless Legs Syndrome(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/rls/rls_mtr.html

Disease Management

Lifestyle Changes and Activities(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/rls/rls_lca.html

Related Issues

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/periodic_limb_movement_disorder/hic_periodic_limb_movement_disorder.aspx
What Causes Restless Legs Syndrome?(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/rls/rls_cor.html

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Restless Legs Syndrome(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Restless+Legs+Syndrome%22

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial of botulinum toxin A in restless... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18794499&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: T2 relaxometry and fMRI of the brain in late-onset restless... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18794493&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Adverse effects of ropinirole-treated restless leg syndrome (RLS) during smoking... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18763430&tool=MedlinePlus
Restless Legs -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=restless+legs+syndrome[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Dictionaries/Glossaries

Glossary of Terms(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/glossary/

Directories

Find a Sleep Professional(National Sleep Foundation) - http://www.sleepfoundation.org/site/c.huIXKjM0IxF/b.2480283/k.6F19/Find_a_Sleep_Professional.htm
Healthcare Provider Directory(Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation) - http://www.rls.org/Page.aspx?&pid=482&srcid=471
Locate a Sleep Center by Zip Code(American Academy of Sleep Medicine) - http://www.sleepcenters.org/

Organizations

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
National Sleep Foundation - http://www.sleepfoundation.org/
Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation - http://www.rls.org/
We Move - http://www.wemove.org/

Women

Drug Treatment During Pregnancy(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/rls/rls_dtp.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Leg Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/leginjuriesanddisorders.html
Movement Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/movementdisorders.html
Sleep Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sleepdisorders.html
Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Restless Legs is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/