Review of Traditional Chinese Medicines for Common Complications Related to Hemodialysis: An Evidence-Based Perspective

Investigation of the Effect of Reiki on Pain, Fatigue, and Itching in Hemodialysis Patients: Randomized Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION

The management of symptoms associated with hemodialysis, which adversely affect patients, increases their quality of life. Complementary integrative therapies such as Reiki are used in symptom management. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Reiki on pain, fatigue, and itching in hemodialysis patients.

METHODS

The study had a randomized controlled design and was conducted in three dialysis centers with a total of 74 hemodialysis patients, 37 in the intervention group, and 37 in the control group. A total of 10 sessions of Reiki were administered to the patients in the intervention group twice a week for 5 weeks, while the patients in the control group received routine hemodialysis treatment. The data of the study were collected using the Patient Identification Form, the Patient Clinical Parameters Form, the Visual Analog Scale, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Piper Fatigue Scale, and the 5-D Itch Scale.

FINDINGS

It was determined that there was a statistically significant decrease in the pain, fatigue, and itching levels of the patients in favor of the intervention group in the second and third measurements (p < 0.05). Although there was no change in the pain and fatigue levels of the patients in the control group, the levels of itching increased statistically and significantly (p < 0.05).

DISCUSSION

The findings suggest that Reiki has an effect on pain, fatigue, and itching in hemodialysis patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05531175.

Prevalence and varieties of complementary and alternative medicine usage among individuals with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease in Taiwan: an investigative cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used in the general population, yet only limited data are available regarding the prevalence of these medications in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hence, our study aimed to explore the prevalence and types of CAM in Taiwanese patients with CKD.

METHODS

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted by face-to-face interview of 275 pre-dialysis patients without dialysis treatment or kidney transplant at an outpatient nephrology clinic in Taiwan from March 2021 to June 2023. The study outcomes were the prevalence of CAM, CAM types, reasons for using CAM, and sources of information about CAM.

RESULTS

Overall, 128 patients (46.5%) were using CAM, but no significant differences from non-CAM users in the various CKD stages (p = 0.156) were found. CAM usage was high in the age range of 20-60 years and duration of CKD ≤ 5 years (p < 0.05). The most commonly used type of CAM was nutritional approaches (79.7%), followed by other complementary health approaches (26.6%). The most commonly utilized modalities of CAM were vitamins and minerals (38.3%), and only 27.1% of patients disclosed their CAM use to their physicians. The most common sources of information about CAM were family and friends, cited by 66% of the participants. Health promotion and a proactive attitude were reported by 40% of users as the reasons for using CAM.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study provides data on the CAM usage among CKD patients and adds to the increasing evidence on CAM use. Because some of these practices have safety concerns, better education from healthcare providers on the risks and benefits of CAM therapy is needed by CKD patients.