Diseases & Conditions
Restless legs syndrome on the radar
As scientists better understand this once-perplexing disorder — which disproportionately strikes women — treatment approaches are shifting.
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
Dr. John Winkelman used to refer to restless legs syndrome (RLS) as the Rodney Dangerfield of medicine — since, as the late comedian famously claimed about himself, the disorder "got no respect."
Long after RLS was first described in the 17th century, the creepy-crawly, sometimes painful leg sensations characterizing it — which are typically worse while resting — were often dismissed as a bizarre neurosis. And even two decades ago, RLS was still called "the most common sleep disorder you've never heard of," recalls Dr. Winkelman, a professor of psychiatry in the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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