2007 Volume 40 Issue 6 Pages 513-516
It is a problem that the QOL (quality of life) of maintenance hemodialysis patients has been lowered, however, study of the complaints regarding low QOL of the patients has not been sufficient. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey to investigate these complaints as well as opinions about acupuncture treatment to improve QOL in these patients. As a result, it was shown that most patients (92.7%) had multiple complaints (3.3), and there was no significant relationship between the number of complaints and patient age or duration of dialysis. There was no apparent relationship between complaints and the underlying disease of the patients. About 30% of patients previously had experienced acupuncture, but the understanding of acupuncture among these patients was apparently not sufficient based on the result of the investigation. However, a number of patients expressed a desire for acupuncture treatment. Because many patients complained of pain and numbness, which are commonly treated by acupuncture, it was suggested that acupuncture treatment might contribute to the QOL of hemodialysis patients.
