Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation Blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Rochester, Minn. – December 10, 2014 – The Willis-Ekbom Disease (WED) Foundation has certified the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine in Redwood City , California, as a WED/RLS Quality Care Center for patients with Willis-Ekbom disease (also known as restless legs syndrome, or WED/RLS). Stanford is the fifth institution to join the Foundation’s...

Read More

Below are some common names used to describe WED/RLS symptoms. Fidgety LegsJumpiesThe Gotta MovesWigglesWheeby GeebeesTortured LimbsThe JittersThe JerksNight ThrashersHeebee-JeebeesMom’s Leg ThingThe FidgitsThe Creepy CrawliesJumpy LegsJumpy KneesTickle LegsThe CrawliesEdgy LegsBugs in the bonesHaving butterflies in my legsJimmy LegsWiggle worms The The Gotta MovesNight CrawlsDay CrawlsWretched limb syndromeAnxious legsAnxious feetThe twitchesThe screechiesEekyTingle legsThe ScreechiesThe CrinklesStretchy legsDead legsWorm legsMagic legsThingThat Icky...

Read More

September 23 is WED/RLS Awareness Day. Let's raise awareness during the month of September. You can help raise awareness of Willis-Ekbom disease/restless legs syndrome (WED/RLS) by picking to do 3-4 items from the list below. Feel free to challenge yourself and others to check off more items on the list. Become a WED Foundation member (https://www.willis-ekbom.org/join-the-wed-foundation).  Get a friend...

Read More

Help spread awareness by displaying a Wordle canvas.  Go to the Foundation's online store to purchase one today.  You may also call to order the canvas print at 507-287-6465. ...

Read More

Disclaimer: Guest blog posts are the opinions of the authors only and not of the WED Foundation, its employees or its Board of Directors. Publication on the WED Foundation’s blog does not imply endorsement by the WED Foundation. Therapies and results described in Bedtime Stories reflect the experiences of individuals and cannot be generalized to everyone with WED/RLS. It...

Read More

It was back in my second year of college that I started noticing that my sleep was not as peaceful as before.  My sleep pattern was completely off.  I would wake up several times during the night having trouble breathing and my roommates were saying I was making noises in my sleep. I would wake up in the...

Read More

Steps to creating a Wordle: Create a list of words that describe your WED/RLS symptoms. If you use phrases, you'll have to put a hyphen between words to keep them together. (Example: Need to move needs to be Need-to-move) Go to www.wordle.net. (Tips: It does not work in Google Chrome and does the best in Internet Explorer. You'll...

Read More

THIS HELL WE LIVE WITH..... When I was asked to do a blog entry about my WED/RLS I wasn't sure where to start.  It is not very often I allow myself to spend this much time thinking about this Hell we live with. The sensation in my legs has been my companion for as long as I can...

Read More

I have to be honest; the current “cartoon” about renewing a WED Foundation membership is not exactly how I originally envisioned it.  My original title was “What Have You Done for Me Lately?” and showed a person with arms crossed, saying “You want me to donate to the WED Foundation?  What have they done for me?” (see image below)...

Read More

Father’s Day, like Mother’s Day, is a day that is dedicated to someone important in our lives – our dads. I think that our parents are the most influential teachers we have, and my dad is no exception. For example, from an early age, my dad has taught me things about using computers, how to hook up video...

Read More

The WED Foundation has established a program to improve treatment for people who have Willis-Ekbom disease (restless legs syndrome, or WED/RLS) through a network of WED/RLS Quality Care Centers. Centers will be recognized as leaders in the field, serve as liaisons to primary care providers and support groups, and be listed in Foundation materials so that patients and providers...

Read More

Last fall more than 1,600 WED Foundation members participated in the Patient Odyssey Survey which took an in depth look at the effects that WED/RLS has on lifestyle and emotional health of patients and their partners.  At the annual SLEEP meeting in Minneapolis in June 2014, Dr. Becker and Dr. Ondo, WED/RLS experts who are on the Foundation's...

Read More

Recently the WED Foundation created a wordle that has generated a lot of interest.  What is a wordle?  Glad you asked, since I didn’t know what it was either.  A wordle is a “word cloud” created from various words on a topic.  The WED Foundation asked people to describe in one word what living with WED/RLS was like,...

Read More

Hosting a Fundraiser for WED/RLS Tips by Donna Payne My Background; My son has Willis Ekbom disease in it's most severe form, 24/7 throughout his body. He was not diagnosed until he was in his mid-thirties. During those years, until then, he was tormented at school, was abused by the medical profession, and misunderstood by family, friends, teachers,...

Read More

Rochester, Minn. – April 10, 2014 – The Willis-Ekbom Disease (WED) Foundation has certified a specialty clinic in Innsbruck, Austria, as the first international Quality Care Center for people who have Willis-Ekbom disease (also known as restless legs syndrome, or WED/RLS). The Innsbruck Medical University, Department of Neurology, Sleep Lab and Sleep Disorders Outpatient Clinic has joined the...

Read More

Traveling to different places, whether in the U.S. or abroad, has been a big part of my life, and I really enjoy it. But ever since I began dealing with RLS/WED, I’ve had to deal with some aspects of traveling in more proactive ways. As someone living with RLS/WED, it’s important to know whatever things may trigger your...

Read More

I don’t know about you, but when I got married 40 years ago I thought love would conquer all.  Of course there would be ups and downs but love would prevail and there was nothing we wouldn’t be able to solve by talking it out.  40 years later, I’m still married, just not so naive.   Whether you...

Read More

What is WED/RLS & Do I Have it? Join us for a Free Webinar on April 23 Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/505149247 Presentation by Dr. Buchfuhrer, FRCP(C), FCCP, FASSM Time: 10 p.m. ET; 9 p.m. CT; 8 p.m. MT; 7 p.m. PT Willis-Ekbom disease (WED), also known as restless legs syndrome or WED/RLS,...

Read More

Study sheds light on treatment for Willis-Ekbom disease (restless legs syndrome): Pregabalin (Lyrica) found as effective as FDA-approved pramipexole (Mirapex) without causing the worsening of symptoms that commonly occurs with pramipexole. Rochester, Minn. - February 20, 2014 – A large-scale study of treatment for Willis-Ekbom disease (restless legs syndrome, or WED/RLS) published February 14 in the New England...

Read More