• Mohammad Mehdi Mohammadi, Ali Akbar Vaisi Raygani, Akram Ghobadi, Soheila Samadzadeh, and Nader Salari.
• School of Nursing and Midwifery, Students Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. Email: mehdi20.mohamadi@gmail.com.
• Clin Med Res. 2018 Jun 1; 16 (1-2): 1-8.

IntroductionRestless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common disorder in hemodialysis patients. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of near-infrared (NIR) light therapy given to acupoints on the severity of RLS in patients undergoing hemodialysis.MethodsThis single-blind, randomized controlled trial was performed on 60 hemodialysis patients with RLS. Participants who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 30). Data were collected using the International Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale (IRLSRS) and demographic information questionnaire. The intervention group received 12 sessions of NIR light therapy (940 nm) to acupoints in the legs and feet during hemodialysis three times a week, while the control group received sham treatment. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 software.ResultsThe results indicated that there were statistically and clinically significant differences between the intervention and control groups at the end of the intervention sessions (P < 0.001, mean difference [MD] = 3.8). However, after the treatment was discontinued, the difference was not clinically significant (MD = 2.4). In the within-group compression, the mean RLS scores of the intervention group decreased significantly during the intervention sessions (MD = 3.2, P < 0.001); however, after the treatment was discontinued, the difference was not clinically significant (MD = 1.67).ConclusionThe present study showed that the application of NIR light to acupoints in the legs and feet was as an effective treatment for attenuating the symptoms of RLS in hemodialysis patients.© 2018 Marshfield Clinic.

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