Just last week an investigation on fibromyalgia claimed that yoga helps tackle this disease. Well, here is another article which provides a detailed insight into this ailment. A recent study suggests that adults with fibromyalgia have higher prevalence and risk of restless legs syndrome. It is presumed that treating RLS can enhance sleep and quality of life in people with fibromyalgia.
172 fibromyalgia patients with a mean age of 50 years were encompassed in the study. 93 percent of the participants were females. Results acquired from these patients were compared with 63 healthy controls revealing a mean age of 41 years. It was observed that prevalence of restless legs syndrome was almost 10 times greater in the fibromyalgia group than the controls. Restless legs syndrome was reported by 33 percent fibromyalgia patients and 3.1 percent controls. Factors such as age, gender and ethnicity were statistical adjusted by the authors.
Dr. Nathaniel F. Watson, associate professor of neurology at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash. enlightened, “Sleep disruption is common in fibromyalgia, and often difficult to treat. It is apparent from our study that a substantial portion of sleep disruption in fibromyalgia is due to restless legs syndrome.”
It appeared that fibromyalgia group was 11 times more likely than controls to have RLS with a ratio of 11.2. Having employed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale, scientists claim that disruptions in sleep were considerable in the fibromyalgia group reporting RLS. It is assumed that treating restless legs syndrome can help decline fatigue and improve quality of life in fibromyalgia patients. As restless legs syndrome can be treated, diagnosing and dealing with RLS in fibromyalgia patients can boost sleep.
The study was published in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.