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
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Oct 1;12(4):243-253.
doi: 10.30476/ijcbnm.2024.101509.2432. eCollection 2024 Oct.

The Impact of Shiatsu Massage on Labour Pain and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hestri Norhapifah  1 , Mohamad Rodi Isa  2   3 , Bahiyah Abdullah  3   4 , Salina Mohamed  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The Impact of Shiatsu Massage on Labour Pain and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hestri Norhapifah et al. Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery. .

Abstract

Background: Labour pain experienced by women during childbirth can significantly affect the mother's psychological condition and birthing process. This study aimed to determine the effect of shiatsu massage on pain and anxiety during labour.

Method: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 80 nulliparous pregnant women who gave birth in four low-risk maternity clinics in Samarinda, Indonesia, from February to May 2022. The women were randomized into intervention (N=40) and control (N=40) groups based on random allocation. Certified midwives performed shiatsu massages following standard protocols. Pain was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale, and anxiety was assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Score at three times including before the intervention (T0), the latent phase (T1), and at transition phase (T2). The impact of the intervention was analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance by SPSS 26. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The intervention group showed a significant reduction in labour pain scores from 6.85±1.00 (T0) to 6.13±0.88 (T1) and 4.78±0.83 (T2) (P<0.001), while the control group showed an increase from 6.85±1.00 (T0) to 8.05±0.64 (T1) and 8.85±0.48 (T2) (P<0.001). Anxiety scores in the intervention group decreased from 28.53±4.41 (T0) to 26.15±3.59 (T1) and 20.65±2.69 (T2) (P<0.001), whereas the control group experienced an increase from 25.55±3.16 (T0) to 27.05±3.36 (T1) and 31.73±3.27 (T2) (P<0.001). The between-subject effects in time levels for labour pain and anxiety in the two study groups had a significant impact (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Findings showed that shiatsu massage was effective and safe for relieving pain and reducing anxiety during childbirth of nulliparous women. This research suggests that shiatsu massage can be used as an effective alternative method to relieve pain and anxiety during labour in low risk pregnancies, particularly in settings with limited access to pharmaceutical analgesics.Trial Registration Number: IRCT20220317054316N1.

Keywords: Anxiety; Labour pain; Pregnant women; Shiatsu massage.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT flowchart of the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The specific sacral groove work where the Bladder 31 (BL31), BL32, BL33, and BL34 were discovered.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The activities of the Shiatsu massage in the latent phase.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The activity of the Shiatsu massage in the active phase.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The activities of the Shiatsu massage in the transition phase. A) KI-1 point, B) HP-8 point, C) HP-6 point
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Gonenc IM, Terzioglu F. Effects of Massage and Acupressure on Relieving Labor Pain, Reducing Labor Time, and Increasing Delivery Satisfaction. Journal of Nursing Research. 2020;28:e68. - PubMed
    1. Siregar S, Siregar RD, Batubara NS. Overview of Primigravida Pregnant Women’s Knowledge About First Stage Labor Pain. Jurnal Kesehatan Ilmiah Indonesia (Indonesian Health Scientific Journal) 2023;8:170–6. [In Indonesian]
    1. Nori W, Kassim MAK, Helmi ZR, et al. Non-Pharmacological Pain Management in Labor: A Systematic Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2023;12:7203. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Eyeberu A, Debela A, Getachew T, et al. Obstetrics care providers attitude and utilization of non-pharmacological labor pain management in Harari regional state health facilities, Ethiopia. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2022;22:389. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Baljon KJ, Romli MH, Ismail AH, et al. Effectiveness of breathing exercises, foot reflexology and back massage (BRM) on labour pain, anxiety, duration, satisfaction, stress hormones and newborn outcomes among primigravidae during the first stage of labour in Saudi Arabia: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2020;10:e033844. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types