title: A review of current treatment strategies for restless legs syndrome (Willis-Ekbom disease).
abstract: Restless legs syndrome (RLS), recently renamed Willis-Ekbom disease (WED), is a common movement disorder. It is characterised by the need to move mainly the legs due to uncomfortable, sometimes painful sensations in the legs, which have a diurnal variation and a release with movement. Management is complex. First, centres should establish the severity of RLS using a simple 10-item RLS severity rating scale (IRLS). They should also exclude secondary causes, in particular ensuring normal iron levels. Mild cases can be managed by lifestyle changes, but patients with a IRLS score above 15 usually require pharmacological treatment. Dopaminergic therapies remain the mainstay of medical therapies, with recent evidence suggesting opioids may be particularly effective. This article focuses on the different treatment strategies in RLS, their associated complications and ways to manage them.
authors.affiliation: National Parkinson Foundation International Centre of Excellence, King's College Hospital and King's College, London, UK and resident, Department of Neurology, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany lisa.klingelhoefer@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klingelhoefer
authors.affiliation: National Parkinson Foundation International Centre of Excellence, King's College Hospital and King's College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cova
authors.affiliation: National Parkinson Foundation International Centre of Excellence, King's College Hospital and King's College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Sheena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: National Parkinson Foundation International Centre of Excellence, King's College Hospital and King's College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Kallol Ray
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: RLS; Restless legs syndrome; medical treatment; side effects; therapy