Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation Blog

December 22, 2020 RLS, COVID-19 and Our Superpower By Linda Secretan, Secretary, RLS Foundation Board of Directors, and Support Group Leader Does COVID-19 present unique challenges to people with restless legs syndrome? You may have had a quick, almost automatic response to that question. Was it yes or no? As I started to unpack my own answer, I...

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December 10, 2020 The RLS community has lost a giant in the field of Sleep Medicine and RLS research, Dr. Richard P. Allen. Richard P. Allen, PhD, was a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He founded and served as the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Restless Legs Syndrome, one of the Foundation’s...

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December 9, 2020 Virtual Support via Zoom At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation had to quickly adapt and make changes to some of the ways in which it serves the RLS community. Face-to-face support group meetings were no longer safe, so we decided to try a new a way of meeting using...

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November 18, 2020 Reducing Stress During Anxious Times With everything occurring in the world right now, it’s natural to feel stressed and anxious—not to mention, the ever-present stressor of living with restless legs syndrome (RLS). Although RLS is not caused by stress, it can contribute to and exacerbate symptoms. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed with stress and...

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November 2, 2020 Dr. John Winkelman and Karla Dzienkowski Receive the 2020 Ekbom Award Two unsuspecting recipients were awarded the 2020 Ekbom Award while live streaming on the 2020 RLS Foundation Virtual Summit. This prestigious award honors individuals who have enhanced the lives of people with RLS and made significant contributions to the RLS community. Winkelman, who was...

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October 21, 2020 Study: Hemoglobin Levels, Not Serum Ferritin, May Indicate a Better Response to Iron Intervention Iron is fundamental to the healthy functioning of the body’s organs, including the brain. Its connection to the production of red blood cells is also a major determining factor in clinical practice when prescribing iron intervention. However, according to some scientists,...

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October 2, 2020 About the Survey Why should I take the RLS Patient Odyssey Survey II? – Data collected in the Patient Odyssey Survey II will offer researchers information on the long-term burden of disease, leading to improved medical treatments and improved quality of life. Your input matters! “This study will provide data to accelerate and focus our...

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October 1, 2020 East Carolina University associate professor receives patent for treating Restless Legs Syndrome An East Carolina University faculty member’s latest patent may change the way Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is treated, leading to more effective care over a longer period of time for patients. Stefan Clemens, an associate professor in the Brody School of Medicine’s Department...

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September 23, 2020 Survey will help to guide treatment for malady that disrupts well-being for millions The Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Foundation today, international RLS Awareness Day, has launched a research study on the challenges of living with RLS. Through RLS patient and spouse/partner surveys, the RLS Patient Odyssey Survey II will evaluate treatment strategies, emotional well-being, relationships...

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September 18, 2020 Getting Healthcare during a Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way we live in so many ways, including how healthcare services are being accessed: over the internet. If you’re sheltering at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus, but need to see a doctor, telemedicine—receiving medical care via digital technology—is a promising alternative...

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September 2, 2020 September 23 is RLS Awareness Day! This year we are celebrating RLS Awareness month by focusing on our advocacy program throughout September. We need your help to make sure everyone in Congress is #RLSAware. We’ve pulled together some ideas on how you can get involved to raise RLS awareness during September. Here are the simple...

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August 28, 2020 Take the RLS Patient Odyssey Survey to help advance RLS research, treatments and awareness! On Sept. 23, RLS Awareness Day, the RLS Foundation will launch a new research study on the challenges of living with RLS. The RLS Patient Odyssey Survey II will evaluate RLS treatment strategies, emotional well-being, relationships and lifestyle, adding to the...

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July 30, 2020 Why Your Voice Matters By Kris Schanilec Your advocacy efforts have been paying off! In October 2017, the RLS Foundation launched an advocacy initiative to inform federal policy makers about restless legs syndrome (RLS) with three main goals in mind: increasing funding for research, protecting appropriate access to opioid therapy, and expanding physician education and...

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July 17, 2020 Compelled to Act By Stephen Smith, RLS Foundation member and volunteer Two years ago, when the RLS Foundation announced the Advocacy Program, I knew this was something that I had to do. What follows are my advocacy actions over the past two years. However, I believe that everyone needs to step up and become involved...

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June 25, 2020 How One Person's Journey Touches Many Inspired by a desire for the world to know that RLS is a real diagnosis, in 2018 Lucy Hoekstra decided to walk to raise awareness for RLS. “Walk” is a simple word for her incredible journey. Hoekstra first attempted to walk from her home in the Netherlands to her...

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May 22, 2020 Dear Karla: How can joining the RLS Foundation benefit me in the future? Curiously yours, Ben with RLS Great question, Ben! The work we do here today impacts our future good works supporting the RLS community. One of the best ways you can manage your RLS is to become your own personal advocate. RLS Foundation...

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May 1, 2020 Building Momentum During the COVID-19 On April 24th, the RLS community celebrated the first Virtual RLS Advocacy Day with support and guidance from the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation. Virtual RLS Advocacy Day provided individuals in the RLS community the opportunity to join together, as one, to educate our legislators about RLS and to ask for...

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