The effect of abdominal massage on constipation and laboratory parameters in patients undergoing hemodialysis: a randomized clinical trial study.

Background: Kidney failure is a prevalent chronic disease, and individuals undergoing hemodialysis often experience various complications, including constipation and alterations in laboratory parameters. This study, aimed to investigate the impact of abdominal massage on constipation and laboratory parameters in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, convenience sampling method was used, and the participants were randomly allocated the abdominal massage group ( n  = 39) or the sham group ( n  = 38). In the intervention group, abdominal massage was administered by a trained researcher for 15 min, three times a week (1 h after the initiation of dialysis). Meanwhile, the sham group received a light abdominal touch. The Constipation Assessment Questionnaire, and a checklist of laboratory indicators were used to collect information.

Results: In the abdominal massage group, the mean constipation score was 6.62 before the intervention, indicating a moderate level of constipation; however, after the intervention, there was a significant decrease in the score to 4.77, indicating a mild level of constipation. Similarly, in the sham group, the constipation score significantly decreased from 6.42 before the intervention to 4.66 at the end of the study. The mean scores of laboratory indicators, including sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and dialysis adequacy, did not differ significantly between the intervention and sham groups after the intervention ( P  < 0.05).

Conclusion: Both abdominal massage and light touch have shown to be effective in reducing the severity of constipation in patients undergoing hemodialysis; however, these interventions did not have any significant impact on the laboratory indicators.