David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Voices of Restless Leg Syndrome
Tara Parker-Pope, Well Blog
December 17, 2008
When I first heard the term ?restless leg syndrome? years ago, I thought it was a joke. It?s not an uncommon reaction. Over at the Freakonomics blog, Stephen J. Dubner saw a commercial about the disorder and thought it was a Saturday Night Live spoof.
But the people who have the problem aren?t laughing. Restless leg syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs ? often described by people as burning or creeping or like insects crawling inside the legs. The condition, which appears to have a genetic basis, creates an uncontrollable urge to move around. The biggest problem with the condition is that lying down and trying to relax makes it worse.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that restless leg syndrome, or R.L.S., affects as many as 12 million Americans. But the number is a source of debate. Some doctors believe the condition is often misdiagnosed as nervousness or insomnia or under-diagnosed, because sufferers don?t seek medical attention.
However, two Dartmouth Medical School researchers have questioned whether ?disease mongering? by drug companies has led to an increase in R.L.S. diagnoses. They acknowledge that symptoms can be severe enough to be disabling, but wonder if ad campaigns for drugs to treat the condition have convinced otherwise healthy people that they are sick.
People with restless leg syndrome have grown accustomed to skepticism about their condition. In the latest Patient Voices series, my colleague Karen Barrow speaks with seven people affected by R.L.S., including a husband who copes with his wife?s disorder, a R.L.S. sufferer training for a marathon, an 18-year-old who has had the problem since childhood and a doctor who became an R.L.S. patient. Click on Patient Voices to listen to their stories and view photos and excerpts.
Tara Parker-Pope, Well Blog
December 17, 2008
When I first heard the term ?restless leg syndrome? years ago, I thought it was a joke. It?s not an uncommon reaction. Over at the Freakonomics blog, Stephen J. Dubner saw a commercial about the disorder and thought it was a Saturday Night Live spoof.
But the people who have the problem aren?t laughing. Restless leg syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs ? often described by people as burning or creeping or like insects crawling inside the legs. The condition, which appears to have a genetic basis, creates an uncontrollable urge to move around. The biggest problem with the condition is that lying down and trying to relax makes it worse.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that restless leg syndrome, or R.L.S., affects as many as 12 million Americans. But the number is a source of debate. Some doctors believe the condition is often misdiagnosed as nervousness or insomnia or under-diagnosed, because sufferers don?t seek medical attention.
However, two Dartmouth Medical School researchers have questioned whether ?disease mongering? by drug companies has led to an increase in R.L.S. diagnoses. They acknowledge that symptoms can be severe enough to be disabling, but wonder if ad campaigns for drugs to treat the condition have convinced otherwise healthy people that they are sick.
People with restless leg syndrome have grown accustomed to skepticism about their condition. In the latest Patient Voices series, my colleague Karen Barrow speaks with seven people affected by R.L.S., including a husband who copes with his wife?s disorder, a R.L.S. sufferer training for a marathon, an 18-year-old who has had the problem since childhood and a doctor who became an R.L.S. patient. Click on Patient Voices to listen to their stories and view photos and excerpts.
