The effect of foot reflexology during childbirth on pain and perception: a randomized controlled clinical trial
This study aimed to determine the effect of foot reflexology on the severity of labor and delivery experience (primary outcomes) and the duration of labor stages (secondary outcomes).
Methods
This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 90 women in Al-Zahra and Taleghani hospitals in Tabriz-Iran.
The participants were randomly divided into three groups;
Intervention group 1 (two 30-minute massages on the effective pain point for each sole)
Intervention group 2 (one 30-minute massage on the effective pain point and one 30-minute massage on the heel for each sole)
Control group (two heel massages of 30 minutes). The massage was performed once at a dilation of 4 cm and the second time at a dilation of 7 cm.
Results
Pain severity in intervention group 1 was significantly lower than in the control group (AMD: −1.7; 9% confidence interval: −2.8 to −0.6; p = 0.001).
But there was no significant difference between intervention group 1 and 2 (p = 0.066) and intervention group 2 and control (p = 0.336).
A significant difference was observed between groups in terms of length of the third stage of labor (p = 0.04).
There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of mean score for labor (p = 0.217), duration of the active phase (p = 0.099) and second stage of labor (p = 0.114).
Conclusion
The results of the study showed that foot reflexology during labor can reduce the intensity of contractions and the duration of the third stage of labor.
Source
https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jog.14755?af=R&fbclid=IwAR2Wchn9cLh6MUoGp2JlVB2Him7PyWlAyDZQUJnqOyNdxIpaKkMP3mR9n7Q#.YF8qNBaYf78.facebook