Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Mar 14:2:3.
doi: 10.18332/ejm/85793. eCollection 2018.

Effectiveness of injecting lower dose subcutaneous sterile water versus saline to relief labor back pain: Randomized controlled trial

Howieda Fouly  1 , Ragaa Herdan  2 , Dina Habib  3 , Chao Yeh  4
Affiliations

Effectiveness of injecting lower dose subcutaneous sterile water versus saline to relief labor back pain: Randomized controlled trial

Howieda Fouly et al. Eur J Midwifery. .

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a lower dose subcutaneous sterile water injection technique versus subcutaneous saline injection, on the relief of low-back pain for women during childbirth, and to explore the lasting effects of pain relief after administration (followed at 15, 30, 45, 90 and 120 minutes).

Methods: A prospective randomized controlled single-blinded study was conducted, with trial registration (NCT02813330). Women received one-time injections (sterile water or saline) and the effectiveness was observed at 15, 30, 45, 90 and 120 minutes after the intervention.

Results: The intervention group had statistically significant pain reduction. Assessment of subsequent pain, followed at 30, 45, 90 and 120 minutes, reflected an increasing change with a statistically significant difference. The intervention group had more burning sensations than the control group with a statistically significant difference.

Conclusions: The modified technique of double injections of subcutaneous 'water/ saline' resulted in significant relief of low-back pain during childbirth.

Keywords: back pain; effectiveness; labor; lower dose; sterile water; subcutaneous injection.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow of participants through the trial (CONSORT 2010)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Michaelis Rhomboid points
Figure 3
Figure 3
The study sites of water/saline injection
Figure 4
Figure 4
Comparison between type of injectable fluid and client response
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Tzeng Y.L, Su T. J. Low back pain during labor and related factors. Journal of Nursing Research. 2008;16(3):23140. doi: 10.1097/01.jnr.0000387310.27117.6d. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Desai R.J, Hernandez-Diaz S, Bateman B.T, Huybrechts K. F. Increase in Prescription Opioid Use During Pregnancy Among Medicaid-Enrolled Women. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2014;123(5):997–1002. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000000208. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Melzack R, Katz J. Pain. WIREs Cogn Sci. 2013;4:1–15. doi: 10.1002/wcs.120. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lee N, Webster J, Beckmann M, Gibbons K, Smith T, Stapleto H, et al. Comparison of a single vs a four intradermal sterile water injection for relief of lower back pain for women in labour: a randomized controlled trial. Midwifery. 2013;29:585–591. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.05.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Steel A, Adams J, Sibbritt D, Broom A, Frawley J, Gallois C. The influence of complementary and alternative medicine use in pregnancy on labor pain management choices: results from a nationally representative sample of 1,835 women. J Altern Complement Med. 2014;20(2):87–97. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources