Effects of auricular point sticking on labor pain and anxiety

Abstract

Objective To observe the effects of auricular point sticking on pain and anxiety during the latent period of the first stage of labor in primiparas. Methods Primiparas meeting eligibility criteria were recruited. The participants were randomized into an auricular point group, a placebo group, and a control group. The control group received daily care. The auricular point group received 120 min of auricular point sticking therapy. The placebo group received the same auricular plasters as the auricular point group but without pressing. Participants’ pain, anxiety, and uterine contractions were measured at enrollment and 30, 60, and 120 min of interventions. Results Data from 78 participants were analyzed in this study. After uterine contraction was adjusted as a covariate, there was no significant difference among groups in the baseline anxiety, baseline pain, and anxiety at 30-min intervention (P>0.05), and no significant difference between the placebo group and the control group in each indicator at each time point (P>0.05). The anxiety scores of the auricular point group at 60 min and 120 min were lower than those of the placebo group and the control group (P<0.05). The pain in the auricular point group was less than that in the placebo group and the control group at 30, 60, and 120 min of interventions (P<0.05). Conclusion Auricular point sticking therapy can relieve anxiety and pain in women during the latent period of labor. Moreover, the effect is fast-acting. It can be used as a safe and effective complementary therapy.