ReZoom

A Wiggly Diagnosis

When she was twelve, Elisa Sandvoss, of St. Louis, Miss., began experiencing strange sensations in her legs at night, which left her sleep-deprived and baffled. "Trying to sleep was equivalent to a nightmare. About four nights a week, I would begin to feel this tickling sensation in both my legs," she says. "Then I discovered I could get some relief if I held pressure just below my kneecap. That worked if I didn't want to get any sleep." By the time she was 20, Sandvoss realized that most people didn't have this problem, and that it must have a name. Her doctor immediately identified it as restless leg syndrome, also known as Wittmaack-Ekborn syndrome. But even with a diagnosis, it took two more decades before she found any measure of relief.

Something about the sleep disorder inspires skepticism — in people who don't have it. But those who suffer from the uncontrollable urge to wiggle, kick, itch, and move their legs all night long know that it's real, and that it makes getting a good night's rest painfully elusive. New information on the disorder includes the likely possibility that there is a genetic predisposition for RLS sufferers as reported this month in the "New England Journal of Medicine".

A Late-Breaking Sleep Disorder

The neurological condition, which is also characterized as a sleep disorder, can appear at any point in life, but its prevalence increases with age, commonly peaking after the age of 50. Symptoms vary from person to person, but most RLS sufferers experience what they describe as an uncontrollable urge to move their legs to relieve uncomfortable sensations such as itching, twitching, pressure, or tickling. Symptoms occur at night, or in severe cases, when the person is even sitting, and relief is found only while the legs are in motion, which leads to many a miserable, sleepless night.

According to the Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation, as many as 10 percent of the population will suffer from the disorder at some point in their lives. Iron deficiency, smoking, obesity, and diabetes may increase a person's likelihood of experiencing it.

Lack of Sleep is the Real Problem

While the symptoms are more annoying than painful, the sleep deprivation they cause can be devastating to a person's work, health, and relationships. Recent studies also suggest a possible connection between RLS and heart disease. Sandvoss says she was tired all the time, and had difficulty concentrating. Yet many people affected by the disorder are not properly diagnosed for years, due to a lingering skepticism about the problem (Even Sandvoss' husband didn't take her complaints seriously until her doctor talked to him.).

Today, proper diagnosis sets a "nightwalker," as RLS sufferers are called, on the path to better rest, but the condition is so individualized and complex that there is no one-size-fits-all remedy. Sandvoss spent two decades trying various drugs and therapies, including Valium and muscle relaxers. "They helped, but I knew that I couldn't stay on those things, and there had to be a better way," she said. Three years ago, she visited a rheumatologist, who prescribed a combination of drugs that finally reduced her symptoms to a mild, once or twice a week experience. "I am not cured by any stretch of the imagination," she says. "But now I am able to sleep."

Want more info on midlife issues and back health?

• Practical Poses
• Metabolism Myths
• Beyond Sluggish: Unhealthy Habits