Acupuncture for pain relief during labor
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