He considers it necessary therapeutic exercise for kidney patientswhich in fact should be part of their daily treatment, o Dr. Georgios K. Sakkas, Clinical Occupational Physiologist – Researcher, professor at TEFAA of the University of Thessaly.

His involvement with patients with chronic renal failure began in 1997 in England, continued in 2001 in California, USA, while since 2005 he has been conducting clinical studies in the Thessaly region at TEFAA. Making an assessment of this long-term research and in view of World Kidney Day on March 14, he emphasizes that patients with chronic kidney failure present a low quality of life, reduced physical fitness (endurance and strength), increased levels of muscle atrophy (i.e. reduced muscle mass) , increased levels of fatigue (i.e. they get tired very easily), low bone density (so osteoporosis – brittle bones), muscle and neurological disorders (weakness, numbness in the extremities), sleep disorders (drowsiness, insomnia and lethargy), heart failure and increased risk of sudden death. All the above problems naturally worsen when patients, he emphasizes, deviate from the instructions of their treating physicians or adopt an unhealthy lifestyle.

The most common negative habits are related to high fluid consumption, increased fruit consumption, consumption of processed foods rich in salt, but also habits such as smoking and a sedentary lifestyle.

However, most of the disorders I mentioned above are still preventable or even reversible, to some extent, while the improvement of these problems is directly related to the improvement of the health of kidney patients and therefore to the increase of their life expectancy (better and more years).

In our clinical studies we use “therapeutic exercise” as a means of slowing down and reversing the decline in the health of kidney patients with the ultimate goal of improving their quality of life and general health. The therapeutic exercise takes place, according to him, during hemodialysis between the 1st and 3rd hour and is initially applied for 10 minutes and progressively increases up to 1 hour. Patients even participate in strength exercises with rubber bands and weights. To date, hundreds of hemopurified patients have participated in the studies with very significant positive results for their health. Research work has proven with scientific works that the application of therapeutic exercise to patients with chronic renal failure can:

  • Significantly improve quality of life indicators
  • Increase physical strength and endurance
  • Reverse muscle atrophy and increase muscle mass
  • Reduce the general feeling of fatigue
  • Stabilize bone density
  • Improve heart function indicators
  • Improve the quantity and quality of sleep
  • Significantly reduce the risk of sudden death

In conclusion, emphasizes Mr. Sakkas, therapeutic exercise should be part of the daily treatment of patients with chronic renal failure and not an optional option. To conclude by emphasizing that we should look holistically at the treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease taking into account, not only the “clinical” needs of the chronic sufferer, but also the particularities of his life and his lifestyle preferences. Individualized care for patients with chronic kidney disease also involves lifestyle changes for the benefit of a balanced treatment.