Relationship between Fibromyalgia and Restless Leg Syndrome

I get really mad when I have been dealing with each and every symptom of fibromyalgia and out of nowhere medical community throw another symptom at you to take care of. Yup, you have guessed right. Restless leg syndrome is also associated with fibromyalgia, Another symptom added into my fibro symptom list.

About 70% of people affected with fibromyalgia are also affected by restless leg syndrome. But one important question is what is the main cause of restless leg syndrome and why it occurs so often with fibromyalgia. Because of RLS I can,t sleep at night, There is an urge to move my legs.

What is Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

Restless leg syndrome is a name of sensation or urge in which you want to keep your legs moving. You will feel kinds of jerk or discomforts in your legs which will eventually want you to keep your legs moving. Usually, Restless leg syndrome hits at night because at day we are already moving. At Night you will usually throw your legs on the bed here and there.

The feeling which actually causes this discomfort is usually a sensation of crawling in legs, Needle or pin-like sensation, or mild pain in the legs. People affected with Restless leg syndrome usually have difficulty in good night sleep. People tend to use weighted blankets in order to get a good sleep.

Restless leg Syndrome causes severe chronic sleep deprivation which is dangerous for fibromyalgia patients health. Having not enough sleep also causes many other health issues like Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Anxiety, Depression, Weakened Immune System, and many other conditions. Considering all these health conditions, Restless leg syndrome is a very severe condition.

Relationship between Fibromyalgia and Restless Leg Syndrome

According to medical specialists, There is a clear relation between fibromyalgia and restless leg syndrome but unfortunately, doctors are not sure how they link with each other. Right Now Medical community believes that both of these conditions have something to do with the brain. Doctors believe that the brain communicates with our body via nervous system signals, We can control these signals like lifting up our arm or twitching our body, However, sometimes false signals are sent to our brain via nervous system which makes us feel pain in legs.

While the signal is being transmitted to our brain, It gets twisted on his way which causes us to feel tingling in our legs while there is no tingling or pain in our body. Its like a false alarm. These False or twisted signals are called overactive nerve signals. These signals are actually the reason why 70% of fibromyalgia patients have RLS.

Right Now, It’s just a theory. It is still a mystery for the medical community that what causes Restless leg syndrome and what is its relation with fibromyalgia, But among all theories, Overactive nerve signal theory seems a good explanation.

Furthermore, Fibromyalgia Patients are fighting many other symptoms along with RLS which makes it more difficult to get a good night sleep, and this lack of sleep causes many other health issues like brain fog, dizziness lack of concentration, etc.

How to Treat RLS

So, What can we do to minimize the RLS effect? Well, there is no 100% effective treatment available for both fibromyalgia and restless leg syndrome. We just need to change or adopt a new routine in order to get rid of fibromyalgia and RLS symptoms.

For starters, try to get as much sleep as you can. Even if you feel tired then sleep in the day. Avoid taking caffeine like in coffee or tea before bed. Caffeine is a stimulant and it will make RLS much worse. If you are a smoker then try to avoid it. Smoking severely damages your nervous system and will eventually develop many complexities in your body, Also, Smoking very much disturb your sleeping routine.

Last but not least, Try to do exercise as much as you can. Of Course, I understand that it is difficult for fibromyalgia patients to adapt fitness regime with all those many complexities like fibro flare up. I would suggest starting with something simple like taking a walk. A little exercise is much better than doing nothing. STAY STRONG WARRIORS. HANG IN THERE!