Acupuncture With Manual and Electrical Stimulation to Reduce Labour Pain

University of Skövde

Status: Completed

Conditions: Labour Pain

Treatments: Device: Electro Acupuncture; Device: Manual Acupuncture

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01197950

136-08

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of manual acupuncture and electro-acupuncture on labour pain.

Full description

Acupuncture is used in obstetric care in spite of insufficient evidence of its potential to reduce labour pain. The findings so far are contradictory, which may reflect methodological limitations. The present study will take issues into account, such as sufficiently large sample to allow detection of possible differences between study groups; optimal timing of the intervention; controlling for intensity of the treatment; qualified training of persons giving the treatment; biological markers of pain and stress; possible effects on mother and infant; women's experiences such as overall birth experience and memory of pain.

Enrollment: 303 patients

Sex: Female

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Admission to the labour ward in spontaneous onset of labour
• Latent or active phase of labour
• Nulliparity
• Singleton pregnancy, cephalic presentation
• Gestation: 37+0 to 41+6 (weeks + days)
• Expressed need for labour pain relief
• Swedish speaking (well enough to understand written and oral instructions)

Exclusion criteria

• No pharmacological pain relief within 24 hours prior to inclusion into the study
• Severe preeclampsia
• Treatment with oxytocin at the time point of allocation
• Treatment with anticoagulant
• Pacemaker

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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303 participants in 3 patient groups

Manual Acupuncture

Active Comparator group

Description:

Manual stimulation

Treatment:

Device: Manual Acupuncture

Electro Acupuncture

Experimental group

Description:

Electrical and manual stimulation

Treatment:

Device: Electro Acupuncture

Standard care

No Intervention group

Description:

No acupunture