Back massage intervention for relieving lower back pain in puerperal women: A randomized control trial study

The effectiveness and safety of complementary health approaches to managing postpartum pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Women experience pain from a number of causes during the postpartum period. Although pharmacological pain relief has shown to be effective, the efficacy of non-pharmacological methods of pain relief will be of interest to breastfeeding women. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the efficacy and safety of complementary approaches to manage postpartum pain.

Methods

A search of English language databases from their inception to 2020 was undertaken for randomised controlled trials and included primiparous and multiparous women who experienced postpartum pain up to two weeks post birth. The primary outcome was pain. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.

Results

Thirty trials were included in the review, 25 trials (2,413 women) were included in the meta-analysis. Two trials of massage found a reduction in pain following caesarean birth within the first 24 h post birth (MD -2.64, 95–2.82 to -2.46, 184 women, I² 0%), and at seven days postpartum (MD -1.91, 95%CI -2.42 to -1.40, 2 trials, 120 women I² 37%). Two trials conducted with women receiving an episiotomy found reduction in perineal pain from herbal ointments within 24 h (MD -1.33, 95% CI -.96 to -0.70, 221 women) and at 14 days postpartum (MD -0.74, 95% CI -1.02 to -0.47, 4 trials). Few trials reported on safety, few trials were at an overall low risk of bias, and overall the quality of evidence was very low.

Conclusion

Further high quality trials are needed to determine the safety and effectiveness of herbal ointment and massage during the early postpartum period.

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Conservative Care for Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

More than one-half of pregnant women experience pregnancy-related low back pain (LBP). Pregnancy-related LBP greatly affects activities of daily life, and although many interventions have been proposed, the optimal treatment for pregnancy-related LBP remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare conservative care strategies on their efficacy and safety for women with pregnancy-related LBP through systematic review with pairwise meta-analysis and network meta-analysis.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, AMED, CINAHL, PEDro, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to November 2019. Randomized controlled trials and observational controlled studies were included without restriction to language, sample size, or duration of follow-up. Two independent investigators extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias. The quality of evidence was evaluated through Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.

RESULTS

Twenty-three studies were included in the qualitative synthesis (18 randomized controlled trials were included in the network meta-analysis). For women with LBP during pregnancy, progressive muscle relaxation therapy (mean difference = -3.96; 95% CI = -7.19 to -0.74; moderate-quality evidence) and Kinesio Taping (mean difference = -3.71; 95% CI = -6.55 to -0.87; low-quality evidence) reduced pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale, range = 0 to 10) compared with placebo. Moderate-quality evidence suggested that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation improved physical function (mean difference = -6.33; 95% CI = -10.61 to -2.05; Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, range = 0-24) compared with placebo.

CONCLUSION

For patients with LBP during pregnancy, progressive muscle relaxation therapy and Kinesio Taping may help to decrease pain, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation may improve physical function.

IMPACT

This review helps fill the gap in evidence regarding optimal treatment for pregnancy-related LBP.

LAY SUMMARY

If you have LBP during pregnancy, your physical therapist has evidence to support the use of progressive muscle relaxation therapy and Kinesio Taping to help decrease pain and the use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to help improve physical function.

The effect of postpartum period back massage on serum ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin and visfatin levels

In addition to the initiation and continuity of lactation, hormones transferred from mother plasma to milk during breastfeeding are also important. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of back massage on maternal serum ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin and visfatin levels in women giving birth. A total of 60 mothers, participated in this experimental study. Massage was applied in the first 3-4 h after birth. Blood sample was taken in the postnatal routine. It was determined that the intervention group did not make a statistically significant difference in ghrelin (1.37 ± 0.7, 1.00 ± 0.2), leptin (0.76 ± 0.5, 0.70 ± 0.1), adiponectin (3.55 ± 0.8, 3.05 ± 0.5) levels compared to the control group (p > 0.05). However, visfatin (10.53 ± 2.4, 9.97 ± 2.0) levels were statistically higher than the control group (p < 0.05). Back massage was found to be beneficial in terms of increased growth factors in breast milk production and content.

The efficacy of a preparatory phase of a touch-based approach in treating chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial

Background

Massage therapy is an important element of rehabilitation in the treatment of chronic low back pain (CLBP). The objective of this study was to determine the relative efficacy of massage therapy between traditional massage and a new massage approach for CLBP. We also examined whether any reduction in pain was linked to interoceptive awareness and parasympathetic activation.

Methods

A single-blind, randomized, controlled trial of 51 patients who were allocated into a traditional massage therapy group (TMG; N=24, mean age: 50.54±9.13 years) or experimental massage therapy group (SMG; N=27, mean age: 50.77±6.80 years). The primary outcome was the reduction in pain per the visual analog scale (VAS); the secondary outcome measures were multidimensional pain intensity on the McGill Pain Questionnaire, pain-related disability per the Waddel Disability Index, interoceptive awareness per the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness Questionnaire, quality of life per the Short Form - 12 Health Survey, and heart rate variability, expressed as the coherence ratio (CR) by photoplethysmography. The following outcome measures were assessed at baseline, at the end of the treatment program, and at the 3-month follow-up. The mean and standard deviation were calculated for continuous data. Mann–Whitney U test was used to perform between-group comparisons, Friedman’s analysis was used for data on the 3 assessment times in each group, and Spearman’s R coefficient was used to analyze correlations.

Results

Both approaches had a positive result on pain, an effect that was more acute in the SMG versus TMG for all pain scales, with better maintenance at the 3-month follow-up (VAS p=0.005 and p=0.098; Waddell Index p=0.034 and 0.044; McGill total p=0.000 and 0.003). In the SMG, CR scores were significant at baseline and at the end of the treatment program (p=0.000 and 0.002).

Conclusion

The new massage approach with a preparatory phase that is pleasant to the touch was more effective than the traditional approach for CLBP.