Muscle Cramps and Hemodialysis

Muscle cramps, which can happen during or in-between hemodialysis sessions, are painful involuntary muscle contractions that typically occur in the legs, arms, hands, and abdomen. Cramping can last seconds to minutes and affect 25 to 80% of patients on hemodialysis and are one of the most common reasons for stopping a dialysis session early. With so many patients on dialysis experiencing muscle cramps, our patient partners felt it was important to examine the relationship between Mg and muscle cramp severity.

As a patient partner-initiated outcome, all patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis are asked to voluntarily complete a single question twice a year about the severity of their muscle cramps. A designated dialysis staff will record self-reported responses of cramp burden on a 0-to-10-point scale. Responses will be provided to research staff on a tracking sheet without patient identifiers.