Painful legs and moving toes. A report of 3 cases with neurophysiological studies.

3 patients with the condition of "painful legs and moving toes" are reported. The etiology was unknown in 2 of them, but in 1 patient the symptoms were temporarily relieved by surgery for a lumbar herniated disc. The movements restarted 6 months after surgery. EMG studies showed near rhythmical muscle action potentials in the involved muscles of the foot at rates of 3.0, 2.5 and 0.5 cps respectively with a maintained reciprocal innervation. These spontaneous movements could only be suppressed for seconds. The EEG, nerve conduction studies and somatosensory evoked potentials were normal.