Researchers at the University of Oxford, in the UK, assessed the role of acupuncture for epidural pain.

First, the details.

• 105 nulliparae (had not given birth before) undergoing labor induction at term were randomly assigned to a treatment group.
  • Acupuncture
  • Sham acupuncture
  • Control
• The main outcome was the need for epidural analgesia during delivery.
• Other outcomes measured included parenteral analgesia requirement, labor length, delivery mode, neonatal condition and postpartum hemorrhage.

And, the results.

• There was no difference in epidural analgesia between acupuncture and sham acupuncture or between acupuncture and control.
• There were no significant differences in the other outcomes between the acupuncture groups and the control group.
• Side effects or complications of acupuncture were not identified.

The bottom line?

The authors concluded, “There was no analgesic benefit with acupuncture for pain relief during induced labor in nulliparae.

6/2/11 21:09 JR