Improving Adherence and Biomedical Markers in Hemodialysis Patients: the Effects of Relaxation Therapy

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Benson's relaxation technique in improving the hemodialysis patients' dietary and fluid adherence and biomedical markers.

Design: This randomized controlled trial with a pre-post test design was conducted on 86 hemodialysis patients randomly divided into an intervention (receiving Benson's relaxation technique) and a control group (usual care).

Setting: The setting of the study was two hemodialysis units affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Intervention: The patients listened to the audiotape of Benson's relaxation technique twice a day each time for 20min for 8 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures: Dietary and fluid adherence and some biomedical markers were measured in both the intervention and the control group at baseline and at the 8th week after the intervention.

Results: The results showed significant differences between the two groups regarding blood urea nitrogen and phosphate as dietary adherence and interdialytic weight gain as fluid adherence in the 8th week of the intervention (P<0.05). Also, a significant difference was found between the two groups concerning blood glucose level after the intervention (P<0.05).

Conclusions: This study highlighted the importance of Benson's relaxation technique in improvement of adherence and some biomedical markers in hemodialysis patients. Thus, Benson's relaxation therapy could be used as a part of the nursing care practice for hemodialysis patients and those suffering from chronic diseases.