Restless legs syndrome: Demographics, presentation, and differential diagnosis
Publish date: September 1, 2007
Wayne Hening, MD, PhD , Richard P. Allen, PhD , Penny Tenzer, MD , John W. Winkelman, MD, PhD
Wayne Hening, MD, PhD , Richard P. Allen, PhD , Penny Tenzer, MD , John W. Winkelman, MD, PhD
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder characterized by a distressing urge to move the legs and, sometimes, other parts of the body, such as the arms. This urge is usually accompanied by a marked sense of discomfort and sometimes of pain in the leg(s) or other affected body parts. RLS symptoms are triggered by rest or inactivity and relieved or suppressed by movement. They follow a circadian pattern, with symptoms most intense in the evening and nighttime hours.