The following articles are presented as support for the
possible use of ionic minerals as a dietary supplement and nutritional supplement for
natural therapy. You will find more on fibromyalgia
here. You can also purchase this diet supplement disease treatment package below.
RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME AND
LEG CRAMPS IN FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME:
A CONTROLLED STUDY
Magazine: British Medical Journal, May 25, 1996
Section: PAPERS
Restless legs syndrome is characterised by an unpleasant,
difficult-to-describe sensation in the legs that produces an invariable urge to move them
frequently.[1-3] This symptom typically occurs at rest or before sleep and is alleviated
by activity.[1-3] Restless legs syndrome may occur without or with an associated
condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis.[1-3] We investigated the prevalence of restless
legs syndrome and of leg cramps in patients with fibremyalgia syndrome, a common condition
with widespread musculoskeletal aching and tender points,[2 4] and in controls.
Subjects, methods, and results
One hundred and thirty five consecutive new female patients referred with
primary fibremyalgia, 54 women with rheumatoid arthritis without concomitant
fibre-myalgia, and 87 healthy, pain free women acting as controls were studied at our
outpatient rheumatology clinic. All patients with fibremyalgia fulfilled the criteria of
Yunus et al.[4] No subjects had peripheral neuritis.
White cell count; haemoglobin concentration; erythrocyte sedimentation
rate; serum calcium, electrolyte, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and liver enzyme
values; and thyroid function were normal in the patients with fibremyalgia. Patients with
rheumatoid arthritis had normal serum calcium, electrolyte, blood urea nitrogen, and
creatinine values. Symptoms as well as tender points were evaluated by a questionnaire
with ordinal grading (none, mild, moderate, severe). Global anxiety, depression, and
mental stress were assessed by the following questions: "Do you think you are anxious
or tense or have worries?," "Do you feel depressed, low, and blue?," and
"Do you feel under mental stress?"
For statistical analysis symptoms were dichotomised (moderate or severe=
yes; none or mild=no). When the sample was stratified by age (at the median), a
Mantel-Haenszel chi2 test was used to control for potential impact of age on
leg symptoms. Analysis of variance was used for interval variables, followed by the
Student-Neuman-Keuls test to examine differences between the groups. Correlations between
12 preselected variables of interest were analysed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. A
two tailed P value of <0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.
The mean (SD) age (years) of women with fibromyalgia
syndrome was 46 (12) years, of controls 43 (11) years, and of women with rheumatoid
arthritis 51 (13) years, with no significant difference between the patients with
fibremyalgia and controls but a significant difference between patients with fibremyalgia
and those with rheumatoid arthritis (P<0.01).
Symptoms of restless legs syndrome and leg cramps were significantly more
prevalent in patients with fibremyalgia and in those with rheumatoid arthritis than
controls (table 1).
Correlation analysis of the patients with fibremyalgia showed no
significant correlations between restless legs symptoms or leg cramps and age, pain
severity, number of tender points, fatigue; poor sleep, global anxiety, stress, or
depression. Paraesthesia, however, correlated with both restless legs (r=0.26, P<0.03)
and leg cramps (r=0.17, P<0.05), and muscle cramps correlated with restless legs
symptoms (r=0.26, P<0.003).
Comment
Our study shows an association between fibremyalgia syndrome and restless
legs syndrome as well as leg cramps and confirms a previously reported association between
rheumatoid arthritis and restless legs.[3] The basis of this association is not clear.
Fibremyalgia is not a psychiatric condition,: and we found no association between restless
legs syndrome and psychological state. It has been suggested that restless legs syndrome
and periodic limb movement disorder, along with other dysfunctional syndromes such as
irritable bowel syndrome, form a spectrum with overlapping features and a common
biophysiological mechanism of neuroendocrine abnormality.[2] Such an abnormality may also
be the underlying mechanism in restless legs syndrome,[5] which is treatable with
clonazepam, carbamazepine, and levodopa.[1 2 5]
In conclusion, restless legs syndrome and leg cramps are significantly
more prevalent in patients with fibremyalgia syndrome and those with rheumatoid arthritis
than in normal controls. An awareness of this association will help doctors manage the
distressing leg symptoms among patients with fibremyalgia.
Funding: Department of Medicine, University of Illinois College of
Medicine at Peoria.
Conflict of interest: None.
1 Clough C. Restless legs syndrome. BMJ 1987;294:262-3.
2 Yunus MB, Masi AT Fibremyalgia, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb
movement disorder and psychogenic pain. In: McCarty DJ, Keepman WJ, eds. Arthritis and
allied conditions; a textbook of rheumatology. 12th ed. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger,
1993:1383-1405.
3 Reynolds G, Blake DR, Hall HS, Williams A. Restless legs syndrome and
rheumatoid arthritis. BMJ 1986;292:659-60.
4 Yunus MB, Masi AT, Calabro JJ, Miller KA, Feigenbaum SL. Primary
fibremyalgia (fibrositis): a clinical study of 50 patients with matched normal controls.
Semin Arthritis Rheum 1981;11:151-71.
5 Montplaisir J, Godbout R, Poirier G, Bedard MA. Restless legs syndrome
and periodic movements in sleep: physiopathology and treatment with L-dopa. Glin
Neuropharmacol 1986; 9: 456-63.
(Accepted 18 December 1995)
Table 1. Number (%) of subjects with restless legs syndrome and leg
cramps among study groups
by Muhammad B Yunus; professor of medicine, section of rheumatology; Jean
C Aldag, associate professor of preventive medicine in medicine, Department of Medicine,
University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, Box 1649, Peoria, IL 61656, USA;
Correspondence to: Professor Yunus.
Mail Order Form Click
Here!
View Shopping Cart / Checkout
