Effect of acupressure and reflexology on pregnancy constipation: a quasi-experimental study

Constipation is one of the most common complaints during pregnancy. A significant percentage of pregnant women report that this constipation occurs or worsens during pregnancy. Nowadays, the use of complementary medicine treatments to control or reduce constipation is of particular importance. The aim of this study was, therefore, to compare the effects of acupressure and reflexology on constipation in pregnant women.

In this quasi-experimental study, 90 pregnant women who had visited three health centres in Birjand, Iran, for 4 weeks in 2021 were randomly selected and assigned to three groups: acupressure (n = 30), reflexology (n = 30) and control (n = 30). The Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) for pregnancy was completed before the intervention and in the first, second, third and fourth weeks after the intervention (twice a week), while the control group received usual care.

The average severity of constipation decreased significantly over time after the start of the intervention in both the acupressure and reflexology groups (P < 0.05). In the control group, the average severity of constipation decreased significantly in the first, second and third weeks after the intervention, but increased significantly in the fourth week (P < 0.05). The average reduction in the severity of constipation over the course of the study was significantly higher in the pregnant women in the acupressure group than in the reflexology group and the control group, and higher in the reflexology group than in the control group (P < 0.05).

Both acupressure and reflexology had significant effects on reducing the severity of constipation during pregnancy. However, the alleviating effect of acupressure was greater than that of reflexology. Trial registration Registered at the Iranian registry of clinical trials, with code No. IRCT20210626051706N1 in 2021-12-20.