WHAT CAUSES RLS?

Because RLS commonly shows a good response to certain drugs (at least initially) most doctors believe that the problem lies in the brain, although the precise site remains uncertain.

Measurements show that normally spinal cord excitability decreases during sleep and rest, but some recent research suggests that in RLS there is increased excitability at rest.

This new research fits in with the (alternative) concept of RLS being caused by a musculoskeletal disturbance, which is how I treat it, successfully.