• Stijn J Hoogwout, Markus V Paananen, Anne J Smith, Darren J Beales, Peter B O'Sullivan, Leon M Straker, Peter R Eastwood, Nigel McArdle, and David Champion.
• Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 72, 9700 AB, Groningen, The Netherlands. stijnhoogwout@gmail.com.
• Bmc Musculoskel Dis. 2015 Oct 14; 16: 294.

BackgroundIn recent years, there is considerable evidence of a relationship between the sensorimotor disorder restless legs syndrome (RLS) and pain disorders, including migraine and fibromyalgia. An association between multi-site pain and RLS has been reported in adult women. In the current study, we explored the association between musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and RLS in a large cohort of young adults.MethodsTwenty two year olds (n = 1072), followed since birth of part of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study, provided data on MSK pain (duration, severity, frequency, number of pain sites). RLS was considered present when 4 diagnostic criteria recommended by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group were met (urge to move, dysaesthesia, relief by movement, worsening symptoms during the evening/night) and participants had these symptoms at least 5 times per month. Associations between MSK pain and RLS were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression with bias-corrected bootstrapped confidence intervals, with final models adjusted for sex, psychological distress and sleep quality.ResultsThe prevalence of RLS was 3.0 % and MSK pain was reported by 37.4 % of the participants. In multivariable logistic regression models, strong associations were found between RLS-diagnosis and long duration (three months or more) of MSK pain (odds ratio 3.6, 95 % confidence interval 1.4-9.2) and reporting three or more pain sites (4.9, 1.6-14.6).ConclusionsDifferent dimensions of MSK pain were associated with RLS in young adults, suggestive of shared pathophysiological mechanisms. Overlap between these conditions requires more clinical and research attention.

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