Effect of Foot Reflexology on Pain Reduction of the First Stage of Labor among Primiparous

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of foot reflexology on pain reduction in the first stage of labor (cervical dilatation of 1–4 cm.) among primiparous in the delivery room of the Regional Health Promotion Center 6, Khon Kaen Province. It was conducted as a randomized controlled trail. The participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group (N=15 in each group). The experimental group received a session of foot reflexology at 3 zones, 18 points on both feet for 15 minutes. The control group received an imitated light touch at the points required to study on both feet for the same time period. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess pain. Mann Whitney U Test was employed for data analysis. It was found that the average pain level before the experiment for the experimental group and the control group was 9.78±0.527 and 9.76±0.523, respec-tively. The average pain levels of the two groups were not significantly different (p>0.05). After the experiment the average pain level of the experimental group and the control group was 5.33±1.79 and 9.60±0.507, respectively. The average pain level of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p<0.05). The modes of delivery of the two groups were not different. No maternal and infant complications were observed among the experimental group. In conclusion, the results pointed out that foot reflexology could be safely applied to reduce pain of the first stage of labor.