Ice Massage Reduces Labor Pain

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Misty L. Trepke

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Ice Massage Reduces Labor Pain

Healthnotes Newswire—

 

Pregnant women in early labor who use ice massage at specific

acupuncture points on the hand may experience less pain, according

to a new study in the Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health

(2003;48:317–21). This study suggests ice massage is a safe, non-

invasive method of decreasing a woman's labor pain.

 

In the new study, 49 pregnant women between the ages of 16 and 38

years in early labor received ice massage on a specific acupuncture

point on the hand (called Large Intestine 4 or LI-4 in Traditional

) at the beginning of a contraction, continuing

until the contraction stopped. This was repeated on the other hand

when the next contraction started. The massage was carried out on

each hand for 20 minutes or until after the fourth contraction,

whichever came first. Crushed ice in a small hand towel was used to

administer the massage. All women were asked to rate the intensity

of their pain during each contraction while receiving ice massage

(with 1 indicating mild discomfort and 5 indicating excruciating

pain). Women were asked to complete a questionnaire after delivery

to measure their memory of the pain. All women were free to use

conventional pain-relief therapies, such as narcotics or epidurals,

as needed during their labor.

 

Intensity of labor pain and memory of pain were both significantly

reduced by ice massage. Pain-intensity scores were lowered by 19%

after ice massage in the right hand and by almost 50% in the left

hand. It is unknown why there was such a difference between each

hand. Memory of pain intensity following delivery was reduced

from " distressing " to " discomforting. "

 

LI-4 is located in the webbing between the thumb and index finger on

the back of the hand. Traditional Chinese medical texts describe the

stimulation of LI-4 to reduce labor pain and to strengthen

contractions. LI-4 is also used in treating other types of pain

syndromes. While acupuncturists typically use sterile needles to

stimulate LI-4, other forms of medicine, such as acupressure or

Shiatsu, stimulate the point with touch. It is not clear from this

study whether it is the pressure or the cold applied to the

point that is beneficial.

 

Many women are hesitant about using narcotic or epidural pain

therapy, due to concerns over whether their child will be adversely

affected or about the way they will feel during delivery. Access to

these medications is limited or not available at all in many third

world countries. In contrast, ice massage is convenient and can be

performed by anyone. While ice massage is helpful during the early

stage of labor, it is not clear whether these same benefits would be

observed during the latter stages. More research is needed to answer

that question.

 

—Darin Ingels, N.D.