The study was conducted with patients receiving treatment in a total of four hemodialysis units. The sample of the study comprised a total of 36 patients (18 patients in the intervention group and 18 patients in the control group) with complaint of cramp. In the study, intradialytic massage for lower extremity was applied to the intervention group in three sessions a week and a total of six sessions for two weeks. No intervention other than routine care was applied to the control group patients.~In the study, the data were collected using a patient information form, cramp assessment short survey, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PUKİ), and patient follow-up forms.~In order to conduct the study, the necessary Ethics Committee approval and institutional permission were obtained. The individuals included in the study informed about the purpose of the research, their verbal consent obtained and the participant's informed consent form signed.~After the intervention and control groups were assigned according to the research criteria, the days and sessions of the groups were determined and recorded in the digital randomization environment.
The aim of this randomized controlled experimental study was to determine the effect of the massage applied to hemodialysis patients with complaint of cramp on the cramp frequency, cramp severity, and sleep quality.