Restless leg syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) are both sleep-related movement disorders that prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. At Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC, Andrew R. Freedman, MD, and Gichel Watson, RPAC, diagnose and treat RLS and PLMD, helping to restore your sleep and energy. They have offices in Monroe, New Jersey, and Evanston, Wyoming, but conduct most appointments through telemedicine. If you need help due to leg movements, call or use online booking today to request a telemedicine appointment.
RLS and PLMD both cause unusual leg movements that disrupt your sleep. As a result, you have daytime fatigue and sleepiness, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and mood swings. Beyond these symptoms, the two conditions are different:
RLS is defined by an irresistible need to move your legs and unpleasant leg sensations. These symptoms occur when you lay down to rest or after sitting for a long time.
The sensations may be painful but are usually described as pulling, itching, aching, and crawling. Some people say it feels like they have bubbles in their veins.
RLS symptoms make it hard to fall asleep and wake you frequently during the night. Though you can temporarily relieve the discomfort by walking or moving your legs, the symptoms return when you rest again.
PLMD causes repetitive leg and foot movements while you sleep. For example, your legs twitch and jerk, and your foot may flex. Though not common, the condition may affect your arms. PLMD is more likely to occur with other sleep disorders (like RLS) than on its own.
Though the movements disrupt your sleep, they don’t wake you. Unlike RLS, you don’t realize you have PLMD unless you sleep with someone or have a housemate who notices your movement.
The team at Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC primarily diagnoses RLS and PLMD through a medical history, sleep history (with information from a bed partner if possible), and a symptom review. If they suspect RLS, they may ask you to get a blood test to check for an iron deficiency.
If you don’t have a bed partner or housemate who can verify periodic leg movements, you may need an overnight sleep study to detect PLMD. Though the team does home sleep testing for sleep apnea, leg movements are only monitored during a supervised study in a medical center.
RLS may occur due to an iron deficiency, which your provider treats with dietary supplements. The first line of treatment for RLS and PLMD involves medications that increase levels of dopamine, the brain chemical that regulates movement.
You can overcome sleep-related leg movement disorders. Call Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC, today or use online booking to request a telemedicine appointment.