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 From 20 weeks into their pregnancies to term, pregnant women given 10 reflexology sessions experienced a better labour time than textbook figures.
The averages were:
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With reflexology treatment
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Textbook figures (no reflexology)
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- first stage, 5 hours
- second stage, 16 minutes
- third stage, 7 minutes
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- first stage, 16 to 24 hours
- second stage, 1 to 2 hours
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In addition, 89.0% of the women experienced a normal delivery (1). One study found that women who received 4 or more sessions experienced less analgesia use and more forceps deliveries. In comparison to the control group who received no reflexology treatment, they showed no difference in onset of labour and duration of labour (2). Questions have been raised about validity of this study: "The findings should not be taken as particularly significant clinical value since some of the women received only one session of reflexology at 39 weeks."
(http://www.expectancy.co.uk/docs/expectancyreview.pdf)
(1) Dr. Gowri Motha and Dr. Jane McGrath, "The Effects of Reflexology on Labour Outcome," Forest Gate, London, England, Nursing Times, Oct. 11, 1989
(2) McNeill JA, Alderdice FA, McMurray F., "A retrospective cohort study exploring the relationship between antenatal reflexology and intranatal outcomes," Complementary Therapeutic Clinical Practice 2006; 12: 11925. (Queen's University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Belfast, Ireland) (PMID: 16648089) |
