Pain is one of the most common symptoms experienced by end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, which subsequently debilitates patient's quality of life. Although reducing pain is crucial to successful patient care in hemodialysis population, symptoms are often undertreated.Conventional pharmacological approaches are limited in dialysis population , given their altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic profiles and increased potential for adverse reactions. Acupuncture has been known to be beneficial in various chronic pain condition. As a non-pharmacologic intervention, it might be valuable for pain management in hemodialysis patients whose analgesic use are limited due to altered pharmacokinetics. However, little is known for the benefits of acupuncture for pain management in dialysis population. This study aims to determine whether acupuncture is a feasible, effective and safe therapeutic intervention for pain management in hemodialysis patients.
