Restless Legs Awareness Day 2023: Restless Legs Day is observed annually on September 23 to bring attention to this medical condition or syndrome. Willis-Ekbom Disease is a degenerative neurological disorder characterized by an insatiable urge to move the legs to relieve unpleasant sensations such as creeping, crawling, pulling, tingling, or burning. According to the National Institutes of Health, symptoms manifest in the late afternoon or evening and are typically at their worst during the night. Approximately 12 million people in the United States suffer from restless legs syndrome.
The History of Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Day
Every year on September 23, Restless Legs Day is observed to raise awareness about this neurologic and sleep-related movement disorder. On September 23, 2012, the first Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Day was observed. Professor Karl-Axel Ekborn, a Swedish neurologist who described this disease in detail in his 1945 dissertation, celebrates his birthday today. In 1672, Sir Thomas Willis provided the first description of RLS. Therefore, restless legs syndrome is known as Willis-Ekbom disease.
Certain gene variants, insufficient iron levels in the brain, alterations to the dopamine system, and underlying conditions such as essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease are believed to contribute to restless legs syndrome.
Several FDA-approved pharmaceuticals are available to treat RLS, including Ropinirole, marketed by GlaxoSmithKline as Requip; Mirapex, created by Boehringer Ingelheim; Horizant, produced by GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort Inc; and Neupro, developed by Schwarz Pharma.
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5 SURPRISE FACTS ABOUT RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME YOU NEVER KNEW
- The relationship between low iron levels and restless legs has been intensively investigated. Research indicates that people with restless legs have lower iron levels than average.
- According to their patients’ physicians, many cases of restless legs can be attributed to underlying venous problems. A recent study found that non-surgical vein therapy helped 98 percent of patients with varicose veins.
- Approximately one-third of pregnant women suffer from restless limb syndrome, with symptoms most likely to appear during the last three months of pregnancy. Although the exact cause is unknown, doctors suspect low levels of folate and iron are to blame.
- Forty to ninety percent of restless legs syndrome sufferers have at least one close relative with the condition. The early-onset variant (symptoms before age 45) is more frequently inherited than its late-onset counterpart (symptoms after 45 years of age).
- Nervous system disorder peripheral neuropathy can contribute to the development of restless limb syndrome. Frequent causes include nerve damage caused by trauma, infection, disease, or diabetes.
RESTLESS LEGS AWARENESS DAY DATES
| YEAR | DATE | DAY |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | September 23 | Saturday |
| 2024 | September 23 | Monday |
| 2025 | September 23 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | September 23 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | September 23 | Thursday |
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