Massage reduced severity of pain during labour: a randomised trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether lumbar massage during the active phase of labour could reduce pain severity compared to standard care.
Results Summary
Massage significantly reduced pain severity (mean difference of 20mm on a visual analogue scale) but did not affect other pain-related measures or obstetric outcomes except for a slightly longer labour duration in the massage group. Both groups reported high satisfaction with the physiotherapist's care.
Population
46 pregnant women at ≥37 weeks gestation with spontaneous labour onset, 4-5cm cervical dilation, intact membranes, and no medication use after hospital admission.
Effective Dosage
30-minute lumbar massage session.
Duration
Single 30-minute intervention during active labour.
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
lumbar massage | decrease | pain severity | women pregnant at ≥ 37 weeks gestation with a single fetus, with spontaneous onset of labour, 4-5cm of cervical dilation, intact ovular membranes, and no use of medication after admission to hospital | mean difference of 20mm (95% CI 10 to 31) | significantly different | #1 |
lumbar massage | no change | other pain-related outcome measures | women pregnant at ≥ 37 weeks gestation with a single fetus, with spontaneous onset of labour, 4-5cm of cervical dilation, intact ovular membranes, and no use of medication after admission to hospital | no significant change | did not differ significantly | #2 |
lumbar massage | no change | obstetric outcomes | women pregnant at ≥ 37 weeks gestation with a single fetus, with spontaneous onset of labour, 4-5cm of cervical dilation, intact ovular membranes, and no use of medication after admission to hospital | similar | similar | #3 |
lumbar massage | increase | duration of labour | women pregnant at ≥ 37 weeks gestation with a single fetus, with spontaneous onset of labour, 4-5cm of cervical dilation, intact ovular membranes, and no use of medication after admission to hospital | mean difference 1.1hr (95% CI 0.2 to 2.0) | different | #4 |
lumbar massage | no change | satisfaction with the care provided by the physiotherapist | women pregnant at ≥ 37 weeks gestation with a single fetus, with spontaneous onset of labour, 4-5cm of cervical dilation, intact ovular membranes, and no use of medication after admission to hospital | satisfied | satisfied | #5 |
QUESTION: Does massage relieve pain in the active phase of labour? DESIGN: Randomised trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding for some outcomes, and intention-to-treat analysis. PARTICIPANTS: 46 women pregnant at ≥ 37 weeks gestation with a single fetus, with spontaneous onset of labour, 4-5cm of cervical dilation, intact ovular membranes, and no use of medication after admission to hospital. INTERVENTION: Experimental group participants received a 30-min lumbar massage by a physiotherapist during the active phase of labour. A physiotherapist attended control group participants for the same period but only answered questions. Both groups received routine perinatal care. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was pain severity measured on a 100mm visual analogue scale. Secondary outcomes included the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, pain location, and time to analgesic medication use. After labour, a blinded researcher also recorded duration of labour, route of delivery, neonatal outcomes, and the participant's satisfaction with the physiotherapist during labour. RESULTS: At the end of the intervention, pain severity was 52mm (SD 20) in the experimental group and 72mm (SD 15) in control group, which was significantly different with a mean difference of 20mm (95% CI 10 to 31). The groups did not differ significantly on the other pain-related outcome measures. Obstetric outcomes were also similar between the groups except the duration of labour, which was 6.8hr (SD 1.6) in the experimental group and 5.7hr (SD 1.5) in the control group, mean difference 1.1hr (95% CI 0.2 to 2.0). Patients in both groups were satisfied with the care provided by the physiotherapist. CONCLUSION: Massage reduced the severity of pain in labour, despite not changing its characteristics and location.