The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that 12 million people in the United States have restless leg syndrome. The long-term effects of RLS can be debilitating, and many patients suffer not knowing what's wrong or how to treat it.
Most tell me that they've been unable to carry on normal activities in the evening and haven't been able to sleep through the night in years. Known sometimes as "shaky legs" - it is identified through the sensation that sufferers feel in their legs...a sensation that renders them unable to sit in the evenings comfortably, rest, and prevents them from sleeping. Only relieved by getting up and walking, the symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome are very specific.
Patients who have restless leg syndrome often have sensations they describe in vivid terms:
- It's like there were ants crawling up and down my legs.
- I can feel creepy-crawlies I know aren't there.
- It's like my skin itches from the inside out. (This is a very common symptom in patients who have venous insufficiency in their lower legs.)
- It's like I was trying to sleep on pins and needles.
- An electrical buzzing in my legs and body
- I just can’t make my legs stop moving - it’s an uncontrollable urge to move your legs. There’s nothing you can do to make it stop, except get up and walk around.
In my practice, I treat patients weekly who have suffered from RLS for years. Here are their descriptions of life with RLS prior to treatment:
- Sensation occurred at night and she would dread falling asleep. The sensation started in her legs with the building urge to move. It felt like a buzzing electrical sensation in her body, and then it grew and extended into her body. She would have to get up and walk around. She told me it was the most unpleasant sensation she has ever had in her life.
- Another patient had to sleep in a separate room from her husband. He kicked throughout the night, forcing her to sleep in a separate room. He wasn’t aware he had RLS. He also didn’t feel rested in the morning when he woke up. He had vein treatment, successfully resolving his RLS. Both now sleep through the night and feel rested.
Watch the video below as I explain more of the symptoms that are associated with RLS:
Most patients I see are frustrated by their restless leg symptoms and lack of relief with conventional medical therapy. Most primary care providers, including neurologists, have not yet been exposed to the growing awareness amongst vein care practitioners that there is a vein source for many patients with RLS, and treatments do help. Contact us for a specialized free vein ultrasound. We’ll determine whether vein reflux is present and if it is, we can recommend a treatment plan.
