A 45-year-old former officer retired from the Army early after the Gulf War in 1991. This was partly because he was beginning to find it harder to put up with an aching and crawling sensation in his legs. During the day he found relief by being able to move about but at night he was beginning to fidget so relentlessly that it was difficult to get to sleep. After the Army he worked as a negotiator at an estate agents so he wouldn’t be sitting at a desk all day. Recently he has begun to find the need to move about almost irresistible and getting to sleep more difficult than ever. He was referred to a neurologist who diagnosed restless legs syndrome, and told him
Why wasn’t I told about restless legs syndrome?
Restless legs is rare in the under thirties but can affect any age group. In older age groups as many as one in three or four may be troubled occasionally