Can Massage help with Labor Pains?

Can Massage help with Labor Pains?

We know massage therapy is great for multiple things, aches and pains, stress and anxiety just to name a few. But did you know massage therapy during child birth could reduce labor pain?

Massage study to reduce labor pains

Recent research published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork reports on an evaluation of the effects of massage therapy in managing labor pain. The article titled, “Massage Therapy and Labor Outcomes: a Randomized Controlled Trial” was published in December 2012.

Seventy-seven women took part in this RCT. Thirty-seven women received massage during labor and forty women received standard care.  In the massage group, Swedish massage was the massage type administered by a RMT for up to 5 hours.

The primary effects were based on the timing and epidural with respect to cervical dilation. The authors hypothesized that massage therapy would lengthen the time before a woman would want to get an epidural. Many women do not want to use an epidural so this could be a great alternative.

The secondary effects were measuring on labor pain. The authors looked at many different areas, specifically pain during contractions, length of stages of labor, need for narcotic or other analgesia, cervical dilation at the time of epidural insertion and mode of delivery. There were no adverse effects or events reported in the study.

The researchers found that women in the massage therapy group received an epidural at higher cervical dilation than the women in the routine care group, although they were admitted on average at a less advanced stage of labor.

Keep in mind that this study was on a very few amount of women but could be expanded in the future.

What would you do to help your labor pain? Would you try massage therapy to help with your labor pains? Would you try massage over taking medication to help with your pain?

Give Adica Massage Clinic a call if you would like to book an appointment. We also offer therapeutic massage, hot stone massage and more!