Effectiveness of Intradialytic Stretching Exercises on Muscle Cramps among Patients Undergoing Haemodialysis in a Selected Tertiary Care Hospital Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Background: Chronic kidney disease is the vital and non-communicable disease epidemic that affects the world population including India. Muscle cramps are a common complication of haemodialysis treatments and they often result in the early termination of the session, it is an important priority to provide timely intervention to improve their muscle cramps of haemodialysis patients. Materials and Methods: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of intradialytic stretching exercises on muscle cramps among patients on haemodialysis. Time series quasi experimental design was conducted in dialysis unit of Chettinad Super Specialty Hospital, Kelambakkam at Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India.Total sample of 138 belong to 30 to 60 years were selected with the use of purposive sampling technique as per the statistical calculation and equally allocated to control 69 samples and to Study group 69.  The structured questionnaire are demographic, Clinical variables & Modified cramps questionnaire chart was used to assess the effectiveness of intradialytic stretching exercises on level of muscle cramps. Results: The study findings concluded that in pre test 41(59.4 %) of the patients in study group and 38(55.1 %) of the patients in control group had mild muscle cramps whereas in post test 4(5.8 %) of the patients in study group had severe muscle cramps and 16 (23.2 %) of the patients in control group had severe muscle cramps. While comparing the post test mean value of control group 2.652±0.854 the study group mean value was 2.101±0.769 was significantly reduced with‘t’ value of 10.185 at p ≤ 0.000. Therefore the Research hypothesis H1 was retained. Hence there was no significant association between the test scores on intensity of muscle cramps among patients undergoing haemodialysis with selected demographic and clinical variables of group 2 (study) at P ≤ 0.000 level. Therefore the Research hypothesis H2 was rejected.The majority finding of the study results that in pre test 32 (46.4 %) of the patients were in mild muscle cramps in post test 1.More than half of the patients 30 (43.5 %) of moderate muscle cramps in post test 2. And majority 40 (58 %) of the patients in moderate muscle cramps in post test 3.The effect of intradialytic stretching exercises in reducing the level of muscle cramps during haemodialysis. Conclusion: Intradialytic stretching exercises is an effective method which can be used as a preventive therapy in the treatment of muscle cramps.