Everyday Health: Why does leg movement help relieve symptoms?

Markus Schmidt, MD, PhD: By definition, restless legs syndrome (RLS) is an urge to move the legs. We know it builds up when sitting and that it is temporarily relieved when moving the legs. However, we do not know why movement, per se, helps relieve the symptoms. It remains a mystery.

Asim Roy, MD: It is unclear why movement helps relieve the symptoms. However, the area of the central nervous system that is involved is the basal ganglia, which is one of the primary movement control centers; therefore motion must play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Helene A. Emsellem, MD: This is a very difficult question and only theoretical responses are available as far as I know. We currently believe that RLS is a sensorimotor disturbance. The evidence for this is the fact that there is this sensory disturbance that gives you the creepy-crawly feeling; the brain is getting abnormal information from your limbs making you feel irritated, and that is relieved by movement. There is thought to be a relationship between that symptom complex and abnormalities in the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain and the dopamine circuitry. Exactly how all of this gets put together to cause the very stereotypic syndrome of RLS is unclear at this point.

Rubin Naiman, PhD: Leg movement helps most likely because it temporarily enhances circulation. Theoretically, from an energy-medicine perspective, walking may open energy-flow channels, allowing the release of stagnating or pent-up energy.

Merrill S. Wise, MD: To my knowledge, we do not understand exactly why movement temporarily helps get rid of the disagreeable sensations. Some patients with RLS will walk or even do exercises to get rid of the feelings, but in most cases symptoms return when the person gets still.