The Impact of Shiatsu Massage on Labour Pain and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Hestri Norhapifah, Mohamad Rodi Isa, Bahiyah Abdullah and 1 others
PMID 39411571WHAT IT FOUND
Shiatsu massage plus routine care reduced labour pain and anxiety scores compared with routine care alone in low-risk first-time mothers.
Key findings
01Labour pain scores were lower in the Shiatsu group than in the control group at the latent and transition phases.
02Anxiety scores decreased in the Shiatsu group and increased in the control group.
03No adverse effects from the massage were reported in the intervention group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only low-risk first-time mothers with normal singleton pregnancies were included, so results do not apply to high-risk labour, multiple fetuses, or women with complications. Clinics, not individual women, were randomly assigned. The anxiety groups were not equal at baseline: the Shiatsu group scored 28.53 and the control group scored 25.55. The study did not carry out laboratory tests, so it cannot show how Shiatsu affected hormonal responses related to pain and anxiety. Safety information was limited to the authors' report that no intervention-group women experienced adverse effects.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that Shiatsu massage alone replaces routine labour care. The intervention group received massage plus routine breathing and position support, and the anxiety groups started at different scores.