Effect of Isotonic Exercise on the Frequency of Muscle Cramps in Hemodialysis Patients: A Clinical Trial

The long-term complications of hemodialysis deteriorate patients’ quality of life and lead to physical and mental discomfort. Physiologically, sports activities can play an important role in reducing these side effects including muscle cramps. The aim of this study was, to determine the impact of isotonic exercise on the frequency of muscle cramps. This clinical trial was carried out on 60 hemodialysis patients admitted to the dialysis units of Shahrekord and Borujen hospitals in 2014. The intervention included an isotonic exercise program that was implemented during 10 sessions of constant cycling (each lasting 10 minutes) immediately before dialysis. The outcome variable was the number of muscle cramps in patients during the hemodialysis session. The data were analyzed in SPSS-16 using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential tests (independent and paired t-tests). The mean frequency of leg cramps before the intervention was not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.10). However, it was significantly different between the groups after the intervention (P = 0.001). Moreover, the number of muscle cramps in the experimental group was significantly lower after the intervention than before implementing the program (P = 0.03). The isotonic exercise of constant cycling has a considerable effect on decreasing the number of muscle cramps in hemodialysis patients. Hence, it is suggested that dialysis units provide facilities for constant walking and cycling to accelerate patients’ treatment.