Overview
Restless legs syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, is a nervous system-related movement disorder. People often describe creeping, pulling, tingling, aching, or crawling feelings in the legs along with a strong need to move them. Symptoms tend to appear during sitting or lying down and are often strongest in the evening or at night.
Key Symptoms
The main symptom is an urge to move the legs that begins or gets worse during rest. Uncomfortable sensations may affect one or both legs and sometimes the arms. Movement such as walking, stretching, or shaking the legs may help for a short time. Because symptoms often appear at night, many people also have trouble sleeping, daytime tiredness, or difficulty concentrating.
Causes and Risk Factors
The exact cause is not always clear. In some people, it runs in families, and in others it may be linked with low iron levels, pregnancy, chronic kidney disease, nerve damage, or certain medications. Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and poor sleep habits can make symptoms worse for some people.
Who Is Affected
Restless legs syndrome can affect adults and children, although symptoms become more common with age. It is often reported more often in women, including during pregnancy. People with long-term medical conditions such as kidney disease or iron deficiency may be more likely to develop it.
Diagnosis and Tests
A healthcare professional usually diagnoses restless legs syndrome based on your symptoms and when they happen. They may ask about sleep, family history, medicines, and other health conditions. Blood tests, especially iron studies, may be used to look for contributing causes, and tests may be done to rule out problems such as nerve disorders or sleep conditions with similar symptoms.
Treatment Categories
Treatment depends on how often symptoms happen and whether there is an underlying cause. Care may include treating iron deficiency or other health conditions, reviewing medicines that may worsen symptoms, and using non-drug approaches to improve sleep and reduce triggers. Some people may also need prescription treatment from a clinician when symptoms are frequent or severe.
Diet and Lifestyle
Regular sleep habits, moderate physical activity, and avoiding long periods of sitting may help reduce symptoms. Some people find it useful to limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine, especially later in the day. Stretching, leg massage, warm or cool packs, and relaxation techniques may also help some people.
Living With It
Restless legs syndrome can affect sleep, mood, work, travel, and quality of life. Keeping a symptom diary may help you notice patterns and triggers to discuss with a healthcare professional. If symptoms are ongoing, regular follow-up can help adjust treatment and check for underlying causes such as low iron.
When to Seek Medical Care
Arrange medical care if leg symptoms are disturbing sleep, happening often, getting worse, or affecting daily life. You should also seek care if symptoms start during pregnancy, happen along with numbness or weakness, or if you think a medicine may be contributing. Medical review is important because other conditions can look similar and some causes may need treatment.