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Complementary and alternative medicine for labor pain: a systematic review
Alyson L Huntley1, Joanna Thompson Coon, Edzard Ernst
1Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, Exeter, United Kingdom. alyson.huntley@pms.ac.uk
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
|August 6, 2004
Summary
This review found insufficient evidence for complementary therapies in managing labor pain, except for sterile water injections. More research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of other alternative pain relief methods during childbirth.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Pain Management
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Labor pain is a significant concern for women during childbirth.
- Complementary and alternative therapies (CATs) are increasingly explored for pain relief.
- Evaluating the efficacy of CATs requires rigorous scientific evidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and critically appraise randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CATs for labor pain.
- To assess the current evidence base for various non-pharmacological pain management strategies in labor.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive search of six electronic databases was conducted up to July 2003.
- Inclusion criteria focused on prospective RCTs involving healthy term pregnant women with labor pain outcome measures.
- A total of 12 relevant RCTs were identified and analyzed.
Main Results:
- The review identified 12 RCTs examining acupuncture, biofeedback, hypnosis, intracutaneous sterile water injections, massage, and respiratory autogenic training.
- Intracutaneous sterile water injections showed some promise for labor pain relief.
- Evidence for acupuncture, biofeedback, hypnosis, massage, and respiratory autogenic training was limited or inconclusive.
Conclusions:
- Intracutaneous sterile water injections represent a potentially effective complementary therapy for labor pain.
- There is insufficient evidence to support the efficacy of other reviewed CATs for managing labor pain.
- Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are necessary to establish definitive conclusions on the effectiveness of various CATs in labor pain control.
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