Restless Legs Syndrome - Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Willis-Ekbom disease (WED), also known as restless legs syndrome (RLS), creates an overwhelming need to move the limbs. Other characteristics include:

• Restless, nervous, or creepy-crawly sensations in the limbs and trunk
• Relief by movement of the limb
• More severe in the evening and at night
• Involuntary jerking of the limbs during sleep and/or during wakefulness
• Symptoms occur during periods of inactivity
• Difficulty staying or falling asleep, which leads to feeling of daytime tiredness or fatigue

J. Steven Poceta, MD, a neurologist at Scripps Green Hospital who specializes in sleep disorders, will discuss dealing with the challenges of this disease on Tuesday, May 12.