Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when at rest in an effort to relieve these feelings.  RLS sensations are often described by people as burning, creeping, tugging, or like insects crawling inside the legs.  

More than 80 percent of people with RLS also experience a more common condition known as periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD).  PLMD is characterized by involuntary leg twitching or jerking movements during sleep that typically occur every 10 to 60 seconds, sometimes throughout the night.

As a result, most people with RLS or PLMD have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep,  repeated awakening and severely disrupted sleep.  However, there is no known treatment for these conditions and physicians suggest lifestyle changes and activities to reduce symptoms, decreased use of caffeine/alcohol/tobacco,  take supplements to correct deficiencies in iron, folate, and magnesium, taking a hot bath, massaging the legs, or using a heating pad or ice pack and variety of medications.  Although many patients find some relief with such measures, rarely do these efforts completely eliminate symptoms, and is considered as a life-long condition for which there is no cure.

At TMJ Head Neck Pain Center, Dr. Kim have been observing a very interesting fact:  Most of the patients who have obstructive sleep apnea and RLS or PLMD also have TMJ disorders.  If patients have oral appliance therapy for sleep disordered breathing and splint treatment for TMJ disorder, RLS or PLMD just stops or symptoms are dramatically reduced.  If you are experiencing RLS or PLMD and not satisfied with current treatment modality, call office and make a TMJ evaluation and assessment appointment.