Auricular Acupuncture as Effective Pain Relief After Episiotomy

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2017-04-30
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Female

Summary

Background: Episiotomy is performed in up to 30% of vaginal deliveries. Previously, pain treatment following episiotomy has relied on non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) as analgesics, whose use during breastfeeding remains controversial due of their transfer to the child through lactation. The aim of the study is to determine the effect of acupuncture on postpartal perineal pain following episiotomy.

Methods: The study is designed as a prospective interventional randomized parallel single-center study to evaluate the effects of auricular acupuncture on pain relief after episiotomy. The population will encompass 60 patients that have had mediolateral episiotomy performed during vaginal delivery, with 29 receiving acupuncture therapy and 31 not receiving acupuncture therapy for pain relief. NSAID analgesic therapy will be made available per request.

• Phase: Phase 3
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University Hospital "Sestre Milosrdnice"
• Treatments: Acetaminophen; Analgesics; Ibuprofen

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy pregnant women over 18 years of age

• a minimum of 36 weeks' gestation

• patients that underwent mediolateral episiotomy during vaginal delivery

Exclusion Criteria:

• any illness diagnosed during pregnancy

• unwillingness to submit to acupuncture therapy