(ARA) - Their faces say it all. Or maybe it's their legs. Perhaps it's both. The real life stories and testimonials featured on a new interactive Web site offer insight into the lives and experiences of just a few of the 12 million Americans who suffer from the often unpleasant and sometimes debilitating symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS).

It has been called everything from the heebie-jeebies to the fidgets and is often described by sufferers as burning, creeping, and sometimes even painful sensations shooting through their legs. Even worse, these sensations intensify when they try to lie down and rest, making for sleepless nights.

Despite increased research, this neurological condition continues to affect people regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity. It is important that doctors and the public better understand the symptoms and are aware of the impact of RLS, so people with this condition can get appropriate treatment and relief.

In an effort to increase recognition and awareness of RLS, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is educating doctors and the public about RLS, including its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options. The online component of this initiative, www.rlsrest.com, provides educational information and tools and includes personal testimonials from RLS sufferers, which further highlight the seriousness of this condition.

The company has also developed an RLS Simulator to allow doctors to experience a typical "day in the life" of an RLS sufferer, including feeling some of the uncomfortable leg sensations associated with the condition, through a high-tech boot that mimics those feelings, and a virtual reality headset and video. The RLS Simulator was developed to specifically help doctors better understand this complicated condition.

To learn more about restless legs syndrome or to share your own personal experience with RLS, visit www.rlsrest.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent