Acupuncture and hypnosis relieve pain in labour
September 2007 Filed in: Fertility,
Other
therapies
Acupuncture and hypnosis are promising approaches to
relieve pain during labour and delivery claims a
study that reviewed the most current scientific
evidence of complementary and alternative therapies
for pain management in labour.
"The pain of labour can be intense, with tension, anxiety and fear making it worse," write Caroline Smith of the University of Adelaide, Australia and colleagues. Many women want to give birth without using drugs and often turn to complementary and alternative medicine to help them through the labour pain.
Smith and three associates pooled data from 14 studies involving 1,448 women who used different means of pain management during labour.
Data from the three acupuncture trials (496 women) showed a 30-percent decrease in need for pain-relieving drugs, as well as a reduced need for epidurals and drugs like oxytocin, which stimulates labour.
Women who were taught self-hypnosis in the five hypnosis trials (729 women) were also much less likely to require drug-induced pain relief, including epidurals, during labour and were significantly more satisfied with their pain management than were women in the control group.
Some other "promising benefits" of hypnosis include an increased rate of vaginal births and a decreased need for oxytocin, the authors state.
Hypnosis could be used alone for pain relief or as an add-on to facilitate and enhance other analgesics. Smith and colleagues call for larger, better-designed trials on hypnosis and acupuncture for pain management in labour. At present, the authors say, there is insufficient evidence about the effectiveness of acupressure, aromatherapy, music therapy, massage, relaxation, and white noise for pain management in labour.
The reviewers conclude: "Acupuncture and hypnosis may be beneficial for the management of pain during labour; however, the number of women studies had been small. Few other complementary therapies have been subjected to proper scientific study."
This has been published in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an organization that evaluates research and draws evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing studies.
For hypnotherapy in Leeds contact Sonya Mayor on 0113 262 8017 or visit leedshypnotherapist.co.uk
"The pain of labour can be intense, with tension, anxiety and fear making it worse," write Caroline Smith of the University of Adelaide, Australia and colleagues. Many women want to give birth without using drugs and often turn to complementary and alternative medicine to help them through the labour pain.
Smith and three associates pooled data from 14 studies involving 1,448 women who used different means of pain management during labour.
Data from the three acupuncture trials (496 women) showed a 30-percent decrease in need for pain-relieving drugs, as well as a reduced need for epidurals and drugs like oxytocin, which stimulates labour.
Women who were taught self-hypnosis in the five hypnosis trials (729 women) were also much less likely to require drug-induced pain relief, including epidurals, during labour and were significantly more satisfied with their pain management than were women in the control group.
Some other "promising benefits" of hypnosis include an increased rate of vaginal births and a decreased need for oxytocin, the authors state.
Hypnosis could be used alone for pain relief or as an add-on to facilitate and enhance other analgesics. Smith and colleagues call for larger, better-designed trials on hypnosis and acupuncture for pain management in labour. At present, the authors say, there is insufficient evidence about the effectiveness of acupressure, aromatherapy, music therapy, massage, relaxation, and white noise for pain management in labour.
The reviewers conclude: "Acupuncture and hypnosis may be beneficial for the management of pain during labour; however, the number of women studies had been small. Few other complementary therapies have been subjected to proper scientific study."
This has been published in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an organization that evaluates research and draws evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing studies.
For hypnotherapy in Leeds contact Sonya Mayor on 0113 262 8017 or visit leedshypnotherapist.co.uk