Effect of massage therapy with lavender oil on severity of restless legs syndrome and quality of life in hemodialysis patients
This study was announced at 2nd International Internal Medicine Nursing Congress, held online between 17 and 19 December 2020 and oral presentation won the second prize award with the Best Selected Paper Presentation Award.
Funding information
This study is associated with the master's thesis “Effect of Massage Therapy with Lavender Oil on Severity of Restless Legs Syndrome and Quality of Life in Hemodialysis Patients”. This study was approved and financially supported by the Unit of Scientific Research Projects of Erciyes University (project number: TYL-2018-8394).
Abstract
Purpose
This study assessed the effects of massage therapy using 5% lavender oil on the severity of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and the quality of life (QoL) of patients on hemodialysis (HD).
Design and methods
This is a randomized placebo-controlled study with a pretest–posttest design. This study was conducted from January 30, 2019, to May 6, 2019, at HD centers in Turkey, and it includes 58 participants—31 study patients and 27 controls. Data were collected using patient identification form, RLS severity rating scale, Kidney Disease Quality of Life Scale (KDQOLTM-36) and patient follow-up charts. As per the massage therapy protocol, the patients in the study and control groups received massage therapy with lavender oil and baby oil, respectively.
Findings
RLS severity significantly decreased in all follow-up weeks in the study group and in the first, second, and third follow-up weeks in the control group. There were significant differences between the groups in terms of KDQOLTM-36 subscales and total scores at the initial and final follow-ups.
Conclusion
In HD patients, massage with lavender oil lessened the severity of RLS and improved the QoL. Accordingly, this therapy can be recommended to HD patients.
Clinical relevance
Massage therapy during HD sessions is easy, inexpensive, and patient-friendly with no side effects. It is known to reduce symptoms and enable the patients to easily perform daily activities of living. Massage therapy with lavender oil is effective and can be easily applied to patients with RLS by nurses.
Trial registration
This study was registered under the Clinical Trials protocol registration system (NCT04630470) upon completion.