The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of manual acupuncture and electro-acupuncture on labour pain.
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.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
303
The women will receive treatment on bilateral points, both distal points and local points and the needles will be manually stimulated to reach De Qi every ten minutes during one hour.
The women will receive treatment on bilateral points, both distal points and local points and the needles will be manually stimulated to reach De Qi every ten minutes during one hour. Eight needles in the painful area (local points) will be connected to an electro-stimulator and stimulated with high frequency (80 Hz) square wave pulses (0.18-ms duration) with alternating polarity. The woman will adjust the intensity of the electrical stimulation to be just under pain threshold.
School of Life Sciences, University of Skövde
Skövde, Sweden
Use of Epidural Analgesia
Frequecy of epidural analgesia
Time frame: From start of treatment until birth
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