Lower Extremity Venous Insufficiency
Leg Restlessness. Patients with chronic lower extremity venous insufficiency may describe the feeling of the constant urge to move their legs, particularly at night. This sensation may be caused by restless legs syndrome (RLS). One mechanism to explain this sensation may be that when the blood is not emptying out of the legs properly, then the muscular pumping action of moving one’s leg muscles may be the only way to pump blood back towards the heart.
There has been a documented association of restless leg syndrome and chronic lower extremity venous insufficiency. In a published study in 2008, an 80% improvement in RLS symptoms was reported after treatment of lower extremity venous insufficiency.