Efficacy of Acupuncture on Pain Severity and Frequency of Calf Cramps in Dialysis Patients: a Randomized Clinical Trial
Jahromi LSM, Vejdanpak M, Ghaderpanah R, Sadrian SH, Dabbaghmanesh A, Roshanzamir S, Dabbaghmanesh M · Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies · 2024 April 30
DOI 10.51507/j.jams.2024.17.2.47
Objective
To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture as a safe alternative for managing the severity and frequency of calf cramps in dialysis patients compared with a control group.
Conclusions
Acupuncture can decrease the pain and frequency of calf cramps in dialysis patients.
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Insights
Acupuncture added to routine care reduced both calf-cramp pain and cramp frequency more effectively than sham treatment in people receiving hemodialysis.
Patients receiving hemodialysis who experienced calf cramps were randomly assigned to routine management plus acupuncture at specified body points or routine management plus sham acupuncture at non-target locations. Routine management included pain medication and stretching exercises. Pain severity and daily cramp frequency were assessed before treatment and one month after treatment completion.
Both groups showed improvement in pain and calf-cramp frequency, but the acupuncture group experienced greater reductions than the sham-treatment group. These findings suggest that acupuncture can provide meaningful relief from painful, frequent calf cramps among people receiving hemodialysis.
