The effect of massage on intensity and duration of labor pain in primigravida women in Zabol Amiralmoemenin Hospital

Labor pain is a health and therapeutic problem in the world that causes increase of cesarean section rate. Recently, non pharmacological methods such as massage were used for labor pain treatment. The aim of this study was examination the effect of massage on intensity and duration of labor pain in primigravida women. This randomized controlled study was conducted on 2007. Sixty primigravida women expected to have a normal childbirth at Amiralmoemenin hospital in Zabol were randomly assigned to either the massage (n=30) or the control (n=30) group. The Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used as a measure of labor pain. The intensity and duration of pain also length of labor's first stage between two groups was compared in the active phase (5 cm) and transitional phase (8-10 cm). Data were analyzed using SPSS13software. This study showed that manual massage decreased intensity and duration of labor pain in both stages of active phase. (1.963 Vs 2.718, p=0.0001 and 2.311 Vs 3.720, p=0.000), significantly. Findings suggest that massage is a cost-effective method that can decrease labor pain.