Some of my symtoms seem different than described for RLS.
My toes and ankles get so stiff and feel like they are asleep. The only way to get relieft is to keep moving or turning my ankle.
I also feel pins and needles thru my leg. But the main problem is the ankle. Is this a symtom of RLS
Symtoms of RLS
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mackjergens
- Posts: 406
- Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 5:10 am
I am certainly not a Dr. The stiff toes/ankles really sound more like poor circulation than RLS. I don't ever remember reading in any of the rls information about stiff toes/ankles.
If I were you I would run a search by typing in stiff toes/ankles and see what you can find out. Also read all the rls web sites as to the symptoms of RLS. Could be I missed info on stiff toes/ankles.
I would also make an appt with Dr. to discuss this problem because if it should be poor circulation you need to know what is causing it.
I copied/pasted the description of RLS/PLMD from www.rlshelp.org. Hope this is helpful.
_____________________________________________________________From www.rlshelp.org
What are the Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and PLMD (Periodic Limb Movement Disorder) ?
This is a chronic condition which occurs in 5-12% of the population. RLS has probably a disease for thousands of years, but it was only first described in the English literature in 1672 by the physician, Sir Thomas Willis. Oppenheim, in 1923, described the disease as a neurological disorder. Dr. Ekbom, a Swedish neurologist, described the condition more fully in1944. The next year, in 1945, he named the disease, Restless Legs Syndrome. Dr. Symonds, in 1953, used the term, Nocturnal Myoclonus, to describe the leg jerks that occur at night.
People with this problem complain of discomfort in their legs (sometimes even arms) that is difficult to describe (often described as "ants crawling up the insides of my legs") and control. The discomfort makes them want to move their legs ( to get up and walk or often even resorting to vigorous exercise) to gain relief. Their legs feel "restless" and this may be associated with other unpleasant sensations including "pins and needles", muscle twitching, or aching. These symptoms generally occur when the patient is sitting quietly or lying in bed. For a good description of what it is like to be a patient with RLS and a good discussion of the symptoms read the letter from an actual patient with RLS. It can be a significant cause of sleep disturbance (often causing severe insomnia) in most people afflicted with the disorder.
RLS occurs most commonly in middle age and gets worse as one gets older. However, a large portion of patients (up to 43%) may have onset of the disease before age 20 (and often as a very young child). A family history is found in over 60% of RLS cases and new evidence point out possible linkage to chromosomes 5 and 10.
Eighty percent or more of these people may have an associated disorder called PLMD - Periodic Leg Movement Disorder (also known by the older name as Nocturnal Myoclonus). This condition causes leg jerks from uncontrolled contractions of the hip, thigh and calf muscles of one or both legs. During the leg jerks, the hip, knee and ankle move in flexion and the toes extend. These leg jerks can be very small (barely perceptible twitches) to gross large kicks that may even propel the patient's spouse out of bed. The leg jerks may last 1/2 - 5 seconds and recur every 20-40 seconds.
This condition may also cause significant sleep disturbances including insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness (by causing micro-arousals not noticed by the patient all night). However, some sleep specialists do not believe that PLMD really causes enough of a sleep disorder to result in daytime sleepiness or should be treated. There is little research on this topic which has resulted in this controversy about the importance of PLMD.
What causes RLS? At this time, we do not know. We are not even sure from where in the body that the RLS impulses are generated. One study (Annals of Neurology, May 1997, 41:5, pages 639-45) found that the cerebellum and thalamus were activated during RLS symptoms. Other studies have found conflicting results. Clearly, more research is definitely needed to more fully understand this disorder
If I were you I would run a search by typing in stiff toes/ankles and see what you can find out. Also read all the rls web sites as to the symptoms of RLS. Could be I missed info on stiff toes/ankles.
I would also make an appt with Dr. to discuss this problem because if it should be poor circulation you need to know what is causing it.
I copied/pasted the description of RLS/PLMD from www.rlshelp.org. Hope this is helpful.
_____________________________________________________________From www.rlshelp.org
What are the Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and PLMD (Periodic Limb Movement Disorder) ?
This is a chronic condition which occurs in 5-12% of the population. RLS has probably a disease for thousands of years, but it was only first described in the English literature in 1672 by the physician, Sir Thomas Willis. Oppenheim, in 1923, described the disease as a neurological disorder. Dr. Ekbom, a Swedish neurologist, described the condition more fully in1944. The next year, in 1945, he named the disease, Restless Legs Syndrome. Dr. Symonds, in 1953, used the term, Nocturnal Myoclonus, to describe the leg jerks that occur at night.
People with this problem complain of discomfort in their legs (sometimes even arms) that is difficult to describe (often described as "ants crawling up the insides of my legs") and control. The discomfort makes them want to move their legs ( to get up and walk or often even resorting to vigorous exercise) to gain relief. Their legs feel "restless" and this may be associated with other unpleasant sensations including "pins and needles", muscle twitching, or aching. These symptoms generally occur when the patient is sitting quietly or lying in bed. For a good description of what it is like to be a patient with RLS and a good discussion of the symptoms read the letter from an actual patient with RLS. It can be a significant cause of sleep disturbance (often causing severe insomnia) in most people afflicted with the disorder.
RLS occurs most commonly in middle age and gets worse as one gets older. However, a large portion of patients (up to 43%) may have onset of the disease before age 20 (and often as a very young child). A family history is found in over 60% of RLS cases and new evidence point out possible linkage to chromosomes 5 and 10.
Eighty percent or more of these people may have an associated disorder called PLMD - Periodic Leg Movement Disorder (also known by the older name as Nocturnal Myoclonus). This condition causes leg jerks from uncontrolled contractions of the hip, thigh and calf muscles of one or both legs. During the leg jerks, the hip, knee and ankle move in flexion and the toes extend. These leg jerks can be very small (barely perceptible twitches) to gross large kicks that may even propel the patient's spouse out of bed. The leg jerks may last 1/2 - 5 seconds and recur every 20-40 seconds.
This condition may also cause significant sleep disturbances including insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness (by causing micro-arousals not noticed by the patient all night). However, some sleep specialists do not believe that PLMD really causes enough of a sleep disorder to result in daytime sleepiness or should be treated. There is little research on this topic which has resulted in this controversy about the importance of PLMD.
What causes RLS? At this time, we do not know. We are not even sure from where in the body that the RLS impulses are generated. One study (Annals of Neurology, May 1997, 41:5, pages 639-45) found that the cerebellum and thalamus were activated during RLS symptoms. Other studies have found conflicting results. Clearly, more research is definitely needed to more fully understand this disorder
symptons of rls
Hi Maggie and welcome to the group. I hope that you do not have rls.
Mackjergens gave a good post and the site she gave you www.rlshelp. org
is also very helpful.
Please keep us posted on how you are doing.
Mackjergens gave a good post and the site she gave you www.rlshelp. org
is also very helpful.
Please keep us posted on how you are doing.
Charlene
Taking one day at a time
Taking one day at a time