Nursing intervention: Kinesio taping to reduce restless legs syndrome symptoms in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Abstract

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder affecting hemodialysis patients, significantly impacting their quality of life. While traditional treatments can provide relief, complementary interventions such as Kinesio taping (KT) may offer additional benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of KT in reducing RLS symptoms in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Methods. A quasi-experimental study with a one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted from June to August 2024 at the hemodialysis unit of Prof. Dr. Margono Soekarjo Regional General Hospital, Banyumas, Central Java, Indonesia. Thirty-nine patients aged 18 years or older and experiencing RLS symptoms were selected using simple random sampling. Patients with diabetes mellitus or those who did not complete the intervention were excluded. RLS symptom severity was assessed at baseline, three days, and six days post-intervention using the Assessment Criteria for Diagnostic Restless Legs Syndrome. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test to assess the effect of KT.

Results. The study found a significant reduction in RLS symptoms after the KT intervention. Mean RLS scores showed a consistent decrease across three domains: pain, itching, and crawling sensations. By day six, pain reduced from a baseline of 3.54 to 1.22, itching from 3.32 to 1.43, and crawling sensation from 2.46 to 1.3. Other symptoms, including heat and muscle stiffness, also showed significant improvement, with p-values < 0.001.

Conclusions. Our preliminary findings suggest that KT can be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for alleviating RLS symptoms in hemodialysis patients. KT may serve as a beneficial nursing intervention to reduce RLS symptoms in this population. This simple, non-invasive technique should be considered as part of comprehensive RLS care for patients undergoing hemodialysis.