Effect of traditional Chinese medicine therapy on labor pain in patients with natural childbirth: A network meta-analysis.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine treatments, including acupressure, for relieving labor pain and shortening labor duration among pregnant women.
Results Summary
The study found that acupressure combined with acupuncture was the most effective treatment for reducing labor pain at 60 minutes and shortening the first stage of labor. Acupuncture combined with autonomic nerve block was most effective for pain relief at 30 minutes.
Population
Pregnant women experiencing labor pain.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
acupuncture + autonomic nerve block | decrease | pain of labor at 30 minutes | pregnant women | - | was the most effective treatment modality | #1 |
acupressure + acupuncture therapy | decrease | 60-minute pain | pregnant women | - | was most effective | #2 |
acupressure + acupuncture therapy | decrease | first stage of labor | pregnant women | - | was most effective | #3 |
combined treatment with acupressure and acupuncture | decrease | labor pain | pregnant women | - | is the most effective approach | #4 |
combined treatment with acupressure and acupuncture | decrease | duration of labor | pregnant women | - | is the most effective approach | #5 |
BACKGROUND: This systematic review compared the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments for outcomes of different stages and labor pain among pregnant women. METHODS: Eight databases were electronically searched for TCM on labor pain between January 2012 and January 2022. The studies were recorded and screened according to inclusion criteria and subsequently entered in Note Express. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and network meta-analysis was conducted with Stata 16.0. Forest plots and league tables were used to compare different treatment modalities' effect sizes. Additionally, the probabilities of various treatment modalities for each outcome under the cumulative ranking curve were determined. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022336091). This study adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. RESULTS: Thirty articles encompassing 3277 participants were included in the network meta-analysis with 9 different treatment modalities. In terms of pain of labor at 30 minutes, acupuncture + autonomic nerve block was the most effective treatment modality. With regard to the 60-minute pain and the first stage of labor, acupressure + acupuncture therapy was most effective. CONCLUSION: In general, a combined treatment with acupressure and acupuncture is the most effective approach for relieving labor pain and shortening the duration of labor. Based on these data, we intend to explore further clinical TCM therapy for relieving maternal pain.