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Restless leg syndrome is a frustrating condition with intolerable leg sensations that disrupt your sleep. For most people, the condition won’t improve on its own. Learn about the possible causes, the role of venous problems, and treatments.
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) doesn’t go away on its own, but there are two exceptions: being pregnant and taking certain medications.
If pregnancy causes your RLS, the condition improves without treatment within a few weeks after delivery. And if medications trigger RLS symptoms, the problem should improve if you switch to a different medicine.
For everyone else, RLS doesn’t improve without personalized treatment targeting the underlying cause. At Centers for Pain Control & Vein Care in Hobart, LaPorte, Munster, Valparaiso, and Merrillville, Indiana, our team specializes in treating RLS caused by chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).
Here, we explain the symptoms and causes of RLS, then explore the role of chronic venous insufficiency and its treatments.
Restless leg symptoms
RLS causes unpleasant sensations in your legs, an irresistible need to move your legs, and uncontrollable leg twitches.
The leg sensations, which occur after sitting for a long time or when lying down to rest, may be painful, but they typically feel like crawling, itching, burning, or pulling.
When you get up and walk around, the sensations typically stop. However, they usually return if you try to rest again.
RLS causes
RLS may develop on its own or due to an underlying medical condition. When it appears without an identifiable cause, you may have inherited a genetic variation that runs in your family and increases the risk of RLS.
Possible causes include:
- Imbalanced dopamine (a neurotransmitter that controls muscle movements)
- Iron deficiency
- Chronic venous insufficiency
- Kidney failure
- Neuropathy (nerve damage)
- Diabetes
- Folate or magnesium deficiency
- Fibromyalgia
- Celiac disease
About one-third of women develop RLS during pregnancy, usually in the last trimester. Though their symptoms improve, having the condition during pregnancy raises the risk of developing chronic RLS in the future.
Venous disease and RLS
Experts have established a direct connection between chronic venous insufficiency and RLS.
One study reported that nearly 70% of patients with CVI also had RLS symptoms. Another group of researchers evaluated 40 people diagnosed with RLS and learned that half had venous insufficiency.
CVI occurs when valves in the leg veins fail. Without healthy valves, blood that should flow up the leg refluxes, going down the leg and accumulating in the vein. Venous insufficiency causes varicose veins and can lead to complications like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and leg ulcers.
Though researchers are still exploring how CVI contributes to RLS, they believe there are several possible mechanisms.
The buildup of blood and inflammation may irritate nerves, triggering RLS symptoms. Additionally, unpleasant leg sensations may develop as CVI affects oxygen levels in muscles.
When you move, venous circulation improves, oxygen levels increase, and sensations temporarily disappear.
Treating CVI to relieve RLS
If you have both conditions, treating CVI can help reduce or stop restless leg syndrome symptoms. Treatments for CVI use different techniques to eliminate the damaged valves and restore healthy venous circulation.
We have extensive experience in several safe techniques for treating CVI. Here are three examples:
Sclerotherapy
During sclerotherapy, we inject a medication that makes the damaged vein collapse. The vein gradually turns into scar tissue that your body removes, eliminating the damaged valves. For the final step, your body reroutes the blood through another healthy vein.
Radiofrequency ablation
To treat CVI with radiofrequency ablation, we guide a catheter through the leg vein to the end of the damaged area. As we slowly withdraw the catheter, we send a burst of radiofrequency energy into the vein.
The heat collapses the veins, and the body goes through the same process as described for sclerotherapy (removing scar tissue and rerouting blood).
VenaSeal™
VenaSeal closes the damaged vein using a medical-grade adhesive. We use a catheter inserted into the vein to release the adhesive, gently pressing on your leg for a short time to ensure the adhesive bonds with the vein walls and stops blood from flowing through the vein.
Could CVI cause your RLS?
If you have RLS symptoms and doctors can’t identify the cause, don’t wait to schedule an evaluation to learn if you have CVI. Make an appointment using online booking or by calling Centers for Pain Control & Vein Care today.