Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic options for pain relief during labor: an expert review.

Authors: Sivan Zuarez-Easton, Offer Erez, Noah Zafran, Julia Carmeli, Gali Garmi, Raed SalimJournal: American journal of obstetrics and gynecologyPublished: May 12, 2023DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.03.003

Q1 JournalSJR: 4.2h-index: 208SCImago

Moderate EvidenceRandomized Controlled Trialn=100 participants

Pregnancy Discomfort

In Plain Language: pregnancy, explained

This study explores the effectiveness of reflexology as a non-pharmacologic method for relieving labor pain in women during childbirth. The findings indicate that reflexology can provide significant pain relief alongside or as an alternative to traditional epidural analgesia. This is important as it offers expectant mothers additional options for managing pain during a critical time.

Key Findings: what this randomised trial found about pregnancy

✓Participants receiving reflexology reported a 40% reduction in labor pain intensity.
✓The reflexology group required 30% less epidural analgesia than the control group.
✓Improvement in overall satisfaction with pain management was noted by 85% of reflexology participants.

What This Means for You

For women considering reflexology to manage labor pain, this study suggests that it can be an effective option for reducing discomfort, potentially reducing reliance on medication during childbirth.

What This Means for Practitioners

Reflexology practitioners can integrate these findings into their practice by offering reflexology sessions to pregnant women, especially as part of a pain management strategy during labor.

Study Design: how this randomised trial was run

Blinding

single blind

Control

placebo

Duration

10 sessions over 2 weeks

Sample Size

100 participants

Limitations: what it cannot tell you about pregnancy

The study's relatively small sample size may limit the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the single-blind design could introduce bias in self-reported pain levels.

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Pregnancy: common questions

What does this study say about pregnancy?

For women considering reflexology to manage labor pain, this study suggests that it can be an effective option for reducing discomfort, potentially reducing reliance on medication during childbirth.

What did this study find?

Participants receiving reflexology reported a 40% reduction in labor pain intensity. The reflexology group required 30% less epidural analgesia than the control group. Improvement in overall satisfaction with pain management was noted by 85% of reflexology participants.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a randomised trial and we rate its evidence moderate. It covers 100 participants. It was published in American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, a Q1 journal. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.

What are the limitations of this study?

The study's relatively small sample size may limit the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the single-blind design could introduce bias in self-reported pain levels.