The doctoral dissertation by researcher Maytham Abdul-Shawwat, titled “The Effect of Warm Compresses and Leg Stretching Exercises During Hemodialysis on Cramps, Fatigue, and Patient Discomfort: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” under the supervision of Professor Raja Ibrahim Abdul.
The study primarily aimed to evaluate and compare the effect of sequentially applying warm compresses and performing leg stretching exercises during hemodialysis sessions, and to verify their effectiveness in alleviating muscle cramps, reducing fatigue, and enhancing patients’ physical comfort.
The study’s results and conclusions showed that the sequential combination of warm compresses and leg stretching exercises represents an effective, safe, and low-cost nursing intervention, which contributes significantly to reducing the frequency of muscle cramps and alleviating patients’ overall stress, making it a promising nonpharmacological strategy for improving quality of life and alleviating the physical distress associated with hemodialysis.
Based on the research findings, the study recommended that the use of warm compresses and stretching exercises be incorporated as a complementary and supportive treatment within the daily nursing care protocols adopted in hemodialysis units, and that nursing staff be trained to apply them regularly during treatment sessions. Following an extensive scientific discussion, the researcher’s efforts culminated in the thesis being awarded a grade of “excellent.”
The findings of this study align with the Sustainable Development Goals that the College of Nursing at the University of Baghdad seeks to promote, particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), through the development of non-pharmacological nursing interventions and the improvement of the quality of palliative care provided to patients with chronic kidney disease in healthcare facilities.
