Here are four commonly described symptoms of RLS:

1. You have a strong urge to move your legs which you may not be able to resist. The need to move is accompanied by uncomfortable tickling, creeping, itching, burning, creepy-crawly, tugging or gnawing sensations. These sensations will build up in your legs until you feel you have to move them. They may also climb up into your arms in severe cases.

2. Your RLS symptoms start or become worse when you are resting. The longer you are resting, the greater the chance the symptoms will occur and the more severe they are likely to be. This includes sitting in a chair - a very common situation as jobs become more and more computer oriented.

3. Your RLS symptoms are temporarily relieved when you move your legs, although relief persists only as long as your legs continue to move. In more severe cases, you may only experience relief for a few seconds of leg movement and will likely need some form of medication or treatment for continued relief. You may also not be able to continually move your legs (e.g. sitting in a meeting or being stuck on a long plane trip).

4. Your RLS symptoms worsen in the evening especially when you are lying down or resting. Restful activities that bother you at night might not bother you during the day, but you may not be able to get to sleep without some form of medication or treatment.

According to the Restless Legs Foundation, up to 10% of the U.S. population may have this neurological condition. Many people have a mild form of the disorder, but RLS severely affects the lives of millions of individuals. Here's a helpful brochure from the RLS Foundation that discusses causes, diagnosis, and treatment for Restless Legs Syndrome: RLS Information

Please discuss your symptoms with your care provider to determine if you have RLS. However, you may find that your care provider has either never heard of the disorder or is uninformed. If that's the case then I recommend that you educate yourself as much as possible using the resources on this site and the Internet in general, and also seek the care of a leg movement disorder specialist. Your care provider should be able to refer you to a specialist who can prescribe a controlled diagnosis.