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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016 Aug 8:24:e2738.
doi: 10.1590/1518-8345.0739.2738.

The effects of acupressure on labor pains during child birth: randomized clinical trial

[Article in English, Portuguese, Spanish]
Reginaldo Roque Mafetoni  1 , Antonieta Keiko Kakuda Shimo  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The effects of acupressure on labor pains during child birth: randomized clinical trial

[Article in English, Portuguese, Spanish]
Reginaldo Roque Mafetoni et al. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. .

Abstract
in English, Portuguese, Spanish

Objective: to analyze the effects of acupressure on the sanyinjiao point for pregnant women in labor at public maternity wards.

Method: single-blind controlled clinical trial, randomly done employing a pragmatic profile. We selected 156 pregnant women in their ≥ 37 week/s, who had cervical dilations of ≥ 4 cm and with two or more contractions in 10 minutes. The pregnant women were randomly divided into three groups at a university hospital in the suburbs of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in order to receive either acupressure treatment, a placebo or participate as part of a control group. The acupressure was applied on the sanyinjiao point during the contractions for 20 minutes. Then the intensity of the pain was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).

Results: The averages for the pain measured using the VAS were not different for the three groups that were a part of the study (p-value=0.0929), however they were less in the acupressure groups immediately after receiving the treatment (p-value=<0.0001). This was also the case where the treatment lasted for 1 hour (p-value=0.0001). This was the case in comparison with placebo and control groups.

Conclusion: the use of acupressure on the sanyinjiao point is a useful way to alleviate pain in a non-invasive manner. It can improve the quality of care given to pregnant women in labor. Register: RBR-9mhs8r.

Objetivo: analisar os efeitos da acupressão no ponto sanyinjiao sobre a dor na fase ativa do trabalho de parto, em gestantes atendidas em maternidade pública.

Método: trata-se de um ensaio clínico controlado e randomizado, simples-cego e de caráter pragmático. Foram selecionadas 156 mulheres com idade gestacional ≥ 37 semanas, dilatação cervical ≥ 4 cm e com duas ou mais contrações em 10 minutos. As gestantes foram divididas aleatoriamente em três grupos em um hospital universitário do interior do estado de São Paulo, Brasil, para receber acupressão, placebo ou participar como controle. A acupressão foi aplicada no ponto sanyinjiao durante as contrações, por 20 minutos, e a intensidade da dor avaliada por meio de uma Escala Analógica Visual (EAV).

Resultados: as médias de dor pela EAV não foram diferentes nos três grupos na admissão (p-valor=0,0929), porém foram menores no grupo de acupressão imediatamente após (p-valor=<0,0001) e com 1 h do tratamento (p-valor=0,0001) ao se comparar com placebo e controle.

Conclusão: a acupressão no ponto sanyinjiao se mostrou uma medida útil no alívio da dor, não invasiva e um meio de melhorar a qualidade dos cuidados a parturiente. Registro: RBR-9mhs8r.

Objetivo: analizar los efectos de la acupresión, en el punto sanyinjiao, sobre el dolor en la fase activa del trabajo de parto, en embarazadas atendidas en maternidad pública.

Método: ensayo clínico controlado y aleatorio, simple ciego y de carácter pragmático. Fueron seleccionadas 156 mujeres con edad gestacional ≥ 37 semanas, dilatación cervical ≥ 4 cm y con dos o más contracciones en 10 minutos. Las embarazadas fueron divididas aleatoriamente en tres grupos en un hospital universitario del interior del estado de Sao Paulo, Brasil, para recibir acupresión, placebo o participar como control. La acupresión fue aplicada en el punto sanyinjiao durante las contracciones, por 20 minutos; la intensidad del dolor fue evaluada por medio de una Escala Analógica Visual (EAV).

Resultados: los promedios del dolor por la EAV no fueron diferentes en los tres grupos en la admisión (valor p=0,0929), sin embargo fueron menores en el grupo de acupresión inmediatamente después (valor p=<0,0001) y también después de 1 hora del tratamiento (valor p=0,0001) al compararse con el placebo y control.

Conclusión: la acupresión en el punto sanyinjiao se mostró una medida útil en el alivio del dolor, no invasiva y un medio de mejorar la calidad de los cuidados la parturienta. Registro: RBR-9mhs8r.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Sanyinjiao Point (SP6)
Figure 2
Figure 2. Procedures for the collection of data
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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