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Table 4 Involuntary musculoskeletal disorders at rest or nocturnal with sudden onset in elderly above 50

From: Criteria in diagnosing nocturnal leg cramps: a systematic review

 

Nocturnal leg cramps

Restless leg syndrome

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Pain

  

Intensely pain

  

From seconds to maximum 10 minutes

  

Calf or foot, seldom thigh

  

Persisting pain afterwards

  

Sleep disruption

  

Distress*

  

Irritating, burning, crawling sensations

 

 

In episodes

 

 

An urge to move

 

 

Reduction of symptoms by activity

 

 

No pain

 

Repeating and jerking movements

  

Duration 20-30 seconds

  

  1. Reduced strength of dorsiflexion of ankle, foot and toes was also found in one study and can be associated with NLC [23]
  2. The response rate of the geriatric clinicians in the focus group of the Delphi study was 52%, all with > 50% consensus. See Table 5