RLS: A degenerative disease?

[Wairahi]

Dear RLS-ies,

Can you help out a fellow sufferer? Just need a wee morsel of information.

I'm filling out a legal form and it would be useful to be able to describe RLS as "a degenerative disease". Of course we all know it is degenerative, because it gets worse over time, but I'm wondering if anyone has seen it described that way in the medical literature? If so, do you remember where, or could you give me a link?

(I'm 69 years old and I'm trying to get some help to survive.) (69 is the new 49, so I reckon I should have a few years left in me yet.)

Thanks everyone.

Love,

Yore mate for ever

Wairahi

[Hidden]

Sorry to say I'm not aware that any literature states that RLS is degenerative.

It could be described as chronic progressive, but that's different.

The International Classification of Diseases published by the World Health Organisation simply classes it as a sleep related movement disorder.

No mention of degenerative.

[Wairahi in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Manerva. Helpful as always.

[Pagan707]

As you are writing a legal document and not a medical document ambiguities of terms are common place. Hence so many lawyers. Plus this letter is of your opinion based on the facts available to you at that time.

[Wairahi in reply to Pagan707]

Thanks Pagan707. Good point.

[Hidden in reply to Pagan707]

Good point!

[Munroist]

I think the main problem here is that the mechanism of RLS isn’t sufficiently well understood for it to be properly classified. The Wikipedia definition of Degenerative disease doesn’t specifically mention RLS although it does mention Parkinson’s. Given that RLS can appear temporarily during pregnancy, and the fact that it can be associated with neuropathy, it doesn’t seem to be degenerative in all cases. However the fact that it is also associated with Parkinson’s and the fact that it commonly appears and worsens with age would suggest that the cause in these latter cases is degenerative. I suspect it IS degenerative but that conditions which cause it can also be recreated or initiated by pregnancy or Parkinson’s resulting in the same symptoms.

That may not be what you were looking for, but I’d suggest the conclusion is that until the mechanism is well understood we can’t be certain if it’s a degenerative disease although it looks like it. However we also can’t be certain that it’s not a degenerative disease and therefore the situation is open to interpretation.

[Wairahi in reply to Munroist]

Thanks Munroist

[Hidden]

Both pagan and munroist make good points. It really does depend what the legal form is for.

If you're seeking to claim something on the basis of having a degenerative condition which can be challenged on medical grounds by a 'medical expert", then you may need evidence to support your claim.

If the legal form is for some other reason, then pagan's point may be valid.

[Wairahi in reply to Hidden]

Thanks all. I think "progressive" is an indisputable term, and thanks for the suggestion.

[Pagan707]

For my sins I graduated in law thirty years ago! My son has now done his first year. I studied European law as we were joining and he is studying it as we leave! The loss of the European Court of Appeal is a great loss to British citizens in my opinion. Anything that withholds party politics on independent judicial review has to be a good thing. I think progressive or ongoing are both suitable, progressive being the stronger one.

[Wairahi in reply to Pagan707]

Thanks Pagan707 !

And thanks to all the Pagan gods for lawyers. 😀

Yes, even though it doesn’t immediately affect me, I am sorry to see the dear old Brits deprived of the European Court of Appeal. (My grandfather came out from Ormskirk, Lancs., and my grandmother from Glasgow in the 19th century.)

Cheers