What is restless legs syndrome? It’s 12:25 a. m. I try to sleep, but it’s impossible. Every time my body and mind touch sleep, a tingling starts running down my legs, I need to move them. I lift one leg and shake it in the air, lift the other and repeat the same movement, it seems that everything is calming down.
I’m trying to sleep, but the tingling starts again. I get up, I go around the room several times, massage my legs and even make small blows, it seems that the tingling has decreased, I was able to relieve enough the symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome (SJSR) to sleep to catch up with me.
- Restless leg syndrome is not easy to describe.
- In fact the legs are believed to move on their own.
- However what is actually happening is a constant urge to move the lower limbs to stop the unpleasant tingling running through them.
- Like ants that go up and down the legs.
- But what is this syndrome and what are its main characteristics.
- And finally.
- How is this related to the motor cortex? Start!.
According to the Spanish Sleep Association (ASENARCO), restless legs syndrome consists of a sensory and motor disorder defined according to four main diagnostic criteria:
• Periodic leg movements occur in a very high percentage of SPI patients. Also called nocturnal myoclonies, are they characterized by bending movements of the lower limbs at knee and ankle level, with extension of the toes and slow relaxation?? Francisco Aguilar, neurologist?
The Spanish Dream Association also highlights several criteria to support the diagnosis:
The neurologist Francisco Aguilar (2007) highlights the possible causes of this syndrome such as iron deficiency and tricyclic antidepressants, as well as selective serotonin, lithium and caffeine reuptake inhibitors; however, new findings link restless leg syndrome with abnormal function of the motor cortex.
SNA is also seen in patients with spinal injury and peripheral neuropathy. Have you sometimes been observed in cases of vertebral osteoarthritis without known neurological impairment?Boned and Gonzalo, 2002?
US research Johns Hopkins has highlighted the possible cause of this syndrome, which could apparently be hyperactivity of the cerebral motor cortex.
Therefore, new avenues of research can be opened to help treat this syndrome more effectively. Rachel Salas, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University, says that “the region of the brain that controls the legs shows greater cortical excitability in the motor cortex. “
In the field of pharmacology, we can highlight different types of drugs to treat restless legs syndrome:
Making lifestyle changes can help alleviate symptoms of this syndrome, especially those related to sleep patterns, some of the most recommended are:
Despite the advances in science, much remains to be done, in terms of restless legs syndrome, there is much to discover, patients with this syndrome would not only stop feeling an unpleasant tingling sensation in the lower limbs, but would regain their quality of life.
Eliminating or at least reducing the symptoms associated with this syndrome is like falling asleep properly and being able to rest, so during the day the sleep associated with a bad night would disappear, as well as fatigue, tiredness and mood swings.