Manual Lymphatic Drainage Versus Classical Massage on Heart Responses and Mood in Hemodialysis

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients receiving hemodialysis (HD), accounting for about half of all deaths in this group. Blood pressure variability during dialysis is closely linked to cardiovascular events, and autonomic imbalance contributes to complications such as intradialytic hypotension and hypertension, each affecting about 15% of patients. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive indicator of cardiac autonomic regulation and is reduced in chronic kidney disease. In addition, anxiety and depressive symptoms are common in HD patients and are associated with lower quality of life. Therefore, cardiovascular, autonomic, and emotional responses should be considered together during HD.

Massage is a low-cost, easy-to-apply, non-invasive nursing intervention with a low risk of serious side effects. Mechanical stimulation of the skin, muscle, and fascia may influence autonomic nervous system activity. Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is a technique that uses light, slow, rhythmic pressure to support lymphatic flow and has been associated with parasympathetic activation and relaxation. However, evidence on the cardiovascular and autonomic effects of MLD is limited, and its acute effects when applied during HD have not been studied.

Aim

The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the acute cardiovascular, autonomic, and mood effects of 20-minute MLD and 20-minute classical massage applied during hemodialysis. The study is expected to help identify manual techniques that support cardiovascular and autonomic balance and to contribute to the development of evidence-based, non-pharmacological nursing interventions for HD care.

Originality

Previous massage studies in HD patients have mainly focused on symptoms and quality of life, such as fatigue, restless legs syndrome, muscle cramps, and sleep quality. Studies on the autonomic effects of MLD have mostly been conducted in healthy or stressed individuals. To the investigators' knowledge, no study has directly compared MLD and classical massage in terms of acute cardiovascular and autonomic responses in HD patients. This study is original in that:

• It evaluates HRV together with blood pressure and heart rate, allowing a multidimensional assessment of the acute physiological responses to two manual techniques during HD.
• It assesses acute changes in mood within a single dialysis session, whereas previous studies have focused on long-term psychological outcomes.
• It uses a crossover design in which each participant receives both interventions and serves as their own control, which reduces between-subject variability and increases statistical power.
• The interventions are applied during the dialysis session and can be integrated into routine care without adding extra time burden for patients.

Hypotheses

In hemodialysis patients, the effects of 20-minute MLD and 20-minute classical massage:

• Primary Hypothesis 1 (H1): differ in terms of acute autonomic responses (HRV).
• Primary Hypothesis 2 (H2): differ in terms of acute cardiovascular responses (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate).
• Secondary Hypothesis (H3): differ in terms of acute mood.

Methods

Design: Two-period, two-sequence (AB/BA), randomized controlled crossover study.

Participants: Patients aged 18 to 65 years who have received HD for at least three months, three times a week, about four hours per session. Main exclusion criteria are conditions preventing massage (e.g., foot ulcer, amputation, orthopedic problems), cancer, chronic respiratory failure, heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, diagnosed psychiatric illness, use of sleeping pills or sedatives, atrial fibrillation, and pacemaker use.