Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): Symptoms, Causes & Relief

Restless Legs Syndrome is a condition that causes a person to experience unpleasant sensations deep in the lower part of the legs and have strong impulses to move them, especially during periods of inactivity.

Signs and Symptoms

• Signs and symptoms include achy, burning, tingling, creeping, crawling, pulling and itchy feelings affecting one or both legs. People also toss and turn in bed, and might experience "periodic limb movement," which causes sudden jerky spasms every 10 or 60 seconds.

Movements

• People who suffer from Restless Legs Syndrome find relief by walking, pacing, jiggling, stretching, flexing and rubbing their legs.

Triggers

• Symptoms are triggered when sufferers lie down to rest, sit in a car for a long time, sit and watch a movie in a theater, sit on an airplane, do relaxation exercises or when a leg is in a cast after an injury.

Duration

• Restless Legs Syndrome might start in childhood and progress over time. Onset at an older age might cause symptoms to worsen more rapidly.

Causes

• There is no known cause for Restless Legs Syndrome, although it runs in families, especially if one develops it at a young age.