The Effect of Massage, Acupressure and Reflexology on Restless Legs Syndrome Severity and Sleep Quality in Patients Receiving Haemodialysis Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Ayser Döner, Sultan Taşci, Aylin Bilgin
PMID 39905773WHAT IT FOUND
Massage, often with oils, and acupressure reduced restless legs severity in haemodialysis patients, but sleep quality did not improve.
Reflexology did not show a clear reduction.
Key findings
01Massage, often with oils, and acupressure reduced restless legs severity, while reflexology did not.
02Sleep quality did not improve, and it was measured in only three studies.
03The restless legs benefit was seen when sessions lasted 15 minutes or more, not when they were shorter.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The studies varied widely in intervention type, oil use, session length and blinding. Sleep quality was measured in only three studies. Most studies did not have long-term follow-up, so lasting effects are unclear. The analysis excluded non-English and unpublished studies, and the funnel plot showed asymmetry. Many massage studies used oils, so it is unclear whether the benefit came from massage, the oil or both. Reflexology and acupressure were represented by few studies, so subgroup findings for them are uncertain.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these therapies improve sleep quality in haemodialysis patients with restless legs. The pooled sleep quality result showed no effect.