Acupuncture reduces labour pain during delivery in women

A systematic review that examined currently available evidence supporting the use of alternative and complementary therapies for pain management in labour.

It included three trials of acupuncture involving 496 women. These showed a decreased need for pain relief.

The reviewers concluded that acupuncture may be beneficial for the management of pain during labour, but the small number of women studied was a limitation.

Reference

Smith et al. (2006) Complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 18;(4): CD003521