A narrative review of the effects of osteopathy and other manual therapies on pregnancy related pain and labour.
Item
- Title
- A narrative review of the effects of osteopathy and other manual therapies on pregnancy related pain and labour.
- Title
- A narrative review of the effects of osteopathy and other manual therapies on pregnancy related pain and labour.
- Author(s)
- Oates Camilla
- Abstract
- Background: Studies have shown that low back pain and/or pelvic girdle pain is a real problem for pregnant women, and can vary in intensity and duration depending on the person and individual circumstances. Given that medications are not generally recommended in pregnancy, there is a growing need to explore other methods of alleviating this pain. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the uses of osteopathy and other manual therapies in the treatment of pregnant patients and evaluate any reported effect they may have on pain experienced during pregnancy and labour. Method: A critical narrative review was carried out, searching five online databases and selecting appropriate studies. The papers were then each critically appraised according to grading criteria specific to type of study. Results: A total of 24 papers were identified, half relating to pregnancy pain and half investigating labour outcomes. The interventions covered included osteopathy (4), chiropractic (8), physiotherapy (5), massage (4) and acupressure (3). Conclusion: The heterogeneous nature of the studies with regard to objectives, interventions and outcome measures made it difficult to compare the results of the various trials. However, provided there are no contraindicators to treatment, a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment including manipulations and massage together with exercises and lifestyle advice would appear to be beneficial in the treatment of pregnancy related pain and for the relief of labour discomfort. Further research of high methodological quality is needed to provide stronger evidence as to the efficacy of these therapies.
- Abstract
- Background: Studies have shown that low back pain and/or pelvic girdle pain is a real problem for pregnant women, and can vary in intensity and duration depending on the person and individual circumstances. Given that medications are not generally recommended in pregnancy, there is a growing need to explore other methods of alleviating this pain. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the uses of osteopathy and other manual therapies in the treatment of pregnant patients and evaluate any reported effect they may have on pain experienced during pregnancy and labour. Method: A critical narrative review was carried out, searching five online databases and selecting appropriate studies. The papers were then each critically appraised according to grading criteria specific to type of study. Results: A total of 24 papers were identified, half relating to pregnancy pain and half investigating labour outcomes. The interventions covered included osteopathy (4), chiropractic (8), physiotherapy (5), massage (4) and acupressure (3). Conclusion: The heterogeneous nature of the studies with regard to objectives, interventions and outcome measures made it difficult to compare the results of the various trials. However, provided there are no contraindicators to treatment, a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment including manipulations and massage together with exercises and lifestyle advice would appear to be beneficial in the treatment of pregnancy related pain and for the relief of labour discomfort. Further research of high methodological quality is needed to provide stronger evidence as to the efficacy of these therapies.
- presented at
- British School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2011
- Date Submitted
- 3.2.2012 00:00:00
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Pub-Identifier
- 15087
- Inst-Identifier
- 780
- Keywords
- Osteopathy, manual therapy, chiropractic, massage, acupressure, physiotherapy, pain, pregnancy, labour, review
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Oates Camilla, “A narrative review of the effects of osteopathy and other manual therapies on pregnancy related pain and labour.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed April 29, 2024, https://www.osteopathic-research.com/s/orw/item/1751