Effect of Cryotherapy Application in Pain of Hemodialysis Patients: Literature Review

Background: Kidney disease occurs when kidney reduces its normal function, less than 30% of normal activity is related to a long-term condition. Patients with chronic renal failure have to undergo lifelong hemodialysis (HD). HD patients ex-perience pain during needle insertion to arteriovenous fistula. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of cryotherapy on pain of haemodialysis patients. Aim of Study: Ascertain the Effect of Cryotherapy Appli-cation in Pain of Hemodialysis Patients. Material and Methods: A literature review was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar data-bases. The search incorporated the keywords “Hemodialysis,” “Arteriovenous Fistula,” “Cryotherapy,” and “Pain.” Inclusion criteria encompassed studies published between 2016 and 2025, written in English, and involving adult hemodialysis pa-tients. Both experimental (randomized controlled trials, clini-cal trials) and observational studies were included. Studies that did not assess AVF puncture pain reduction or lacked sufficient data on cryotherapy application were excluded. The primary outcome measure was pain intensity, evaluated using validated pain scales, including the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale. Results: The majority of the studies,met the inclusion criteria, demonstrating that cryotherapy is an effective inter-vention for reducing AVF puncture pain. Findings revealed that localized cryotherapy application provide immediate and significant pain relief. Some studies suggested that vapocool-ant sprays and frozen needles were also beneficial in reducing pain perception. In comparative analyses, cryotherapy outper-formed lidocaine spray in minimizing AVF cannulation pain. Conclusion: Cryotherapy is a safe, effective, and low-cost alternative to conventional pain management methods for AVF cannulation in HD patients. Given its ease of application and minimal risks, cryotherapy should be incorporated into routine clinical practice to enhance patient comfort and improve treat-ment adherence.