A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Acupressure during Labour pain among Primigravida Mothers in Selected Hospitals, Puducherry

Acupressure has been used frequently to improve labour, manage labour pain, and shorten delivery time. However, there has been little research-based evidence to support the positive effects of acupressure in the obstetric area and obstetric nursing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of SP6 acupressure on labour pain and delivery time in primigravida women in labour. The study was conducted at selected Hospitals in Puducherry. Its design was a randomized controlled clinical trial study using a single-blinded method. One hundred (100) primigravida women in labour were randomly assigned to either the SP6 acupressure (n = 50) or control group (n = 50). Acupressure was practiced 35 times in total on the SP6 point of both legs in the SP6 acupressure group; 15 times (during contraction) when cervical dilation was 2-3 cm, 10 times when cervical dilation was 5-6 cm and 10 times at 9-10 cm dilation, while the women in the control group received standard care. Labour pain was measured five times using a structured questionnaire of a subjective labour pain scale (visual analogue scale-VAS) when dilation was 2-3 cm (VAS 2), 5-6 cm (VAS 3) and 8-9 cm (VAS 4) before and after acupressure was applied to the SP6 point (VAS 1), and finally at the early postpartum period (VAS 5). The duration of labour in both groups was measured with a parto-graph and the length of delivery time was calculated in two stages: from 3 cm cervical dilation to full cervical dilation, and from full cervical dilation to delivery. There were significant differences between the groups in subjective labour pain scores (except VAS 4) (P < 0.001). The duration of the Phase one (3 cm dilatation to full dilatation) and Phase two (full dilatation to birth) in the acupressure group was shorter than the control group (Phase one, 225 min and 320 min, respectively; Phase two, 15 min and 20 min, respectively; both P < 0.001). It was determined that SP6 acupressure was effective in decreasing pain and duration of labour.