Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is often the unexplained desire or uncontrollable urge to move one’s legs. People explain this as tingling, itching, burning or throbbing that usually happens in the legs, but can also affect the chest, arms and face. The sensations can be mild or severe and are usually worse during the night and in the evening. The syndrome may also occur when someone is inactive, sitting or standing for prolonged periods (flying, watching movies, etc.) The discomfort can sometimes be relieved by moving your legs, but the feelings often recur once the movement stops.
Symptoms Of Restless Legs Syndrome
The most noticeable symptom of RLS is an urge to move the legs. Other commonly-known characteristics include:
Sensations that begin after resting or being inactive. The sensation typically begins once you've been sitting or lying down for an extended period of time.
Relief with movement. These sensations lessen with constant movement such as stretching, walking, rubbing, etc.,
Worsening of symptoms in the evening. Symptoms occur mainly at night or during sleep.
Night-time leg twitching. Your legs start twitching and kicking throughout the night while you are sleeping.
Most patients describe the sensations as:
Throbbing
Itching
Aching
Electric
Crawling
Creeping
Pulling
Causes of RLS
While there is often no physical cause of RLS, this is not the case when RLS is combined with varicose veins.
Varicose veins can cause achy legs, especially at the end of the day or at night. This often translates into RLS in an attempt to alleviate the discomfort. Sometimes, the removal of those varicose veins is the answer to eliminating RLS.
If you don’t see varicose veins on the surface, but suffer from RLS, especially when combined with other symptoms such as leg pain, heaviness, cramps or fatigue, you may be dealing with venous insufficiency. These veins can cause more significant problems, which is why it is important to visit with your doctor about any RLS issues you are experiencing.
What is Venous Insufficiency?
Venous Insufficiency prevents your blood from flowing back to your heart and lung. As valves weaken and get damaged, blood keeps flowing backward to the legs. Venous Insufficiency can cause leg aching, leg heaviness, leg pain, muscle cramps, leg ulcers, discoloration, etc.
Our clinics in Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa offer a Free screening to every patient to determine the causes of restless legs syndrome.
When To See a Vein Doctor
It's estimated that 7-10% of Americans have RLS, both men and women. It may begin at any age but worsen over time.
Some people with RLS never seek medical attention because they worry they won't be taken seriously, but RLS can interfere with your sleep and cause daytime drowsiness and affect your quality of life. Untreated moderate to severe RSL can cause a 20% decrease in work performance, and other side effects such as daytime exhaustion and sleepiness.
Treatments for Restless Legs Syndrome
Once venous insufficiency is determined as the cause of restless leg syndrome, a consultation with our vein specialist will help you develop a personalized treatment plan. Depending on your conditions and needs, different procedures will be suggested.
Conservative therapy might be suggested first. The therapy includes:
Weight loss
Elevate feet
Adjust diet
Wearing compression stockings.
Other procedures (Endovenous Laser Ablation, Sclerotherapy, Phlebectomy, Varithena) might be recommended to treat your problematic veins in more serious conditions.
Physicians at Physicians Vein Clinics can perform minimally invasive outpatient procedures to help you reduce or eliminate varicose veins, which will also alleviate many of your other symptoms, including RLS.
Our vein centers have 12 convenient clinic locations across South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.
