History of RLS

“Wherefore to some, when being abed they betake themselves to sleep, presently in the Arms and Legs, leaping and Contractions of the tendons, and so great a Restlessness and Tossing of their members ensue, that the diseased are no more able to sleep, than if they were in a Place of greatest Torture.”

In the 19^th Century the disorder was reclassified as a psychiatric or psychological disorder – anxietas tibiarum. In the 1940s Karl A Ekbom, a Swedish neurologist, redefined the disorder in terms of its physical features and introduced the term “Restless Legs Syndrome.” It is also known as Ekbom’s Syndrome.

In 1995 the first clinical criteria for the diagnosis of RLS were presented. Despite the long recognition of the disorder and the availability of treatment, RLS may be under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed by many doctors.

Analyses have shown that adults of all ages may be affected, but the prevalence increases with age. RLS typically appears during middle age but symptoms may date back to childhood when the symptoms may have been shrugged off as “growing pains” or “hyperactivity”. Many sufferers report experiencing symptoms before the age of 20. More than 60% of sufferers say their symptoms became progressively worse with age, so symptoms may have been present for many years before medical attention was sought. Many suffer increasing daytime fatigue as the symptoms get worse and sleep becomes more fragmented. Large-scale study groups in Europe and the US have provided evidence that RLS may be associated with high body-mass index, lower income, smoking, lack of exercise, low alcohol consumption and diabetes mellitus. Women seem marginally more likely to be affected than men. There is also evidence to suggest a higher incidence among people with cardiac problems and high blood pressure.