Application of Swedish massage on the feet to reduce muscle cramps in patients with chronic kidney failure

Abstract

Chronic kidney failure is a condition of decreased kidney function. This is irreversible and requires renal replacement therapy such as hemodialysis. Patients undergoing hemodialysis often complain of muscle cramps, especially in the lower extremities. This hurts activities, relationships, and treatment tolerance. Swedish massage, one of the non-pharmacological massage therapies that can be done to treat cramps. This study aimed to apply Swedish foot massage as a nursing intervention to reduce muscle cramps in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the hemodialysis unit at Royal Prima Hospital, Medan. The results showed a reduction in muscle cramps after 15–20 minutes of Swedish massage twice a week. Swedish foot massage is effective and can be applied as a non-pharmacological nursing intervention.