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eCAM Advance Access originally published online on March 15, 2007
eCAM 2007 4(4):409-417; doi:10.1093/ecam/nem012
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© 2007 The Author(s)
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Review

Complementary and Alternative Approaches to Pain Relief During Labor

Michel Tournaire and Anne Theau-Yonneau

Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Saint Vincent de Paul Hospital, University of Paris, Paris, France

This review evaluated the effect of complementary and alternative medicine on pain during labor with conventional scientific methods using electronic data bases through 2006 were used. Only randomized controlled trials with outcome measures for labor pain were kept for the conclusions. Many studies did not meet the scientific inclusion criteria. According to the randomized control trials, we conclude that for the decrease of labor pain and/or reduction of the need for conventional analgesic methods: (i) There is an efficacy found for acupressure and sterile water blocks. (ii) Most results favored some efficacy for acupuncture and hydrotherapy. (iii) Studies for other complementary or alternative therapies for labor pain control have not shown their effectiveness.

Keywords: acupuncture – biofeedback – complementary and alternative medicine – delivery – homeopathy – hydrotherapy – hypnosis – labor – labor pain – manual healing – pain – sophrology – sterile water blocks – stimulation – transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation – yoga

For reprints and all correspondence: Michel Tournaire, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Saint Vincent de Paul Hospital - University of Paris, 82 Avenue Denfert Rochereau 75014 Paris, France. Tel: +33 (0) 1 40 48 81 43; Fax: +33 (0) 1 40 48 83 97; E-mail: m.tournaire{at}svp.aphp.fr

Received November 5, 2006; accepted January 16, 2007


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