Benefits of Massage Therapy and Acupressure for Hemodialysis Patients in Charlotte NC by Chris Lontok

Therapeutic body massage services and acupressure can be used to benefit patients undergoing hemodialysis because these therapies reduce their fatigue and depression. This was in the findings of a study done on patients with end stage renal disease. Massage therapists trained in various massage modalities including acupressure can help such patients in Charlotte NC, too.

The study titled “The Effect of Acupressure with Massage on Fatigue and Depression in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease” was published in the Journal of Nursing Research in 2004. It was conducted by Yi-Ching Cho, R.N. and Shiow-Luan Tsay, R.N., Ph.D. of the Department of Nursing at the National Tainan Institute of Nursing in Tainan, Taiwan and the National Taipei College of Nursing Graduate Institute in Taipei, Taiwan.

The study involved 62 patients with end stage renal disease who were undergoing hemodialysis treatment. They were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. The control group received only standard care for hemodialysis patients for four weeks while the experimental group received acupressure and massage therapy during the same period. Twelve minutes of acupressure and three minutes of leg massage therapy were given to participants in the control group three days a week for the four week treatment period.

Assessments were conducted on the participants both at the beginning of the study and at the end of the four week treatment period. Researchers used the Piper Fatigue Scale to measure levels of fatigue and the Chinese counterpart of Beck’s Depression Inventory to measure levels of depression.

The scores of the participants at the start of the study were compared to their scores at the end of the study. For participants in the control group, there was no significant difference in their perceived fatigue scores. For participants in the experimental group, though, the perceived fatigue scores were lowered significantly at the end of the study.

There was also no significant difference in the depression scores of the participants from the control group at the end of the study. For participants in the experimental group, though, the depression levels were lowered significantly at the end of the study.

Based on the findings, researchers of the study reached the conclusion that the combined therapies of massage and acupressure can effectively benefit patients with end stage renal disease who are undergoing hemodialysis by easing their fatigue and depression. They therefore recommended that the combined therapies of massage and acupressure be integrated in the standard care given to such patients.

The two researchers Yi-Ching Cho, R.N. and Shiow-Luan Tsay, R.N., Ph.D. further said, “Assessment of end-stage renal disease patients’ fatigue and depression should be an essential part of nursing practice.”

The therapeutic body massage services provided by professional massage therapists can include acupressure as well as reflexology massage, foot massage, back massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage and Swedish massage. Patients undergoing hemodialysis may be given massage gift cards to be able to avail of these therapeutic body massage services at reputable professional therapeutic massage clinics in Charlotte NC.