Restless legs syndrome symptoms

Most common symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a strong urge to move legs with unpleasant feeling.

Common symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS)

• A strong urge to move the legs. This urge often (not always) occurs with unpleasant feelings in the legs. Severe cases may have the urge to move arms too. These unpleasant feelings are tingling, creeping, crawling, pulling, itching, aching, burning, or electric shocks.
• Symptoms that start or worsen during rest, sitting ideal, lying down or inactive.
• Symptoms of unpleased feeling are relieved from movement especially walking.
• Symptoms that starts or worsen in the evening or night.

One must have all these sign and symptoms to be diagnosed as RLS.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) gets its name from the urge to move the legs. Typical movements that relieve the symptoms are:

• Pacing - walking with slow regular strides
• Jiggling - move or rock lightly up and down or to and fro in an unsteady, jerky manner.
• Stretch, bend, deform, twist and turn 
• Rubbing the legs

Children may describe RLS symptoms in a different way than adults, so they are sometime misdiagnosed as ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

The RLS symptom of unpleasant feelings often occurs in the lower legs. But can also occur at any place in the legs or feet or arms.

People with mild symptoms may not notice it until the symptoms occurs during awake for a long time, such as on a long trip or watching TV.

RLS should not be confused with leg cramps at night, leg cramps are limited to certain muscle groups with feeling tight also it causes more severe pain and require continuous stretching of the affected muscle for certain time to get relief.

Also RLS should not be confused with arthritis or peripheral arterial disease (PAD) that causes pain or discomfort in the legs. But the movement tends to worsen the discomfort instead of relief.

RLS symptoms make it difficult to fall or stay asleep, so does not get enough good quality sleep. Thus feel very tired during the day and difficult to concentrate at school or work. Sleep dept also can cause depression, mood swings, or other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

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