Effectiveness of ice massage at LI-4 point in reducing active labour pain among primigravida womens

WHO defines Normal labour as low risk throughout, spontaneous in onset with the fetus presenting by the vertex, culminating in the mother and infant in good condition following birth¹. The active phase is considered as the most powerful phase the active phase begins when the women in labour is 3cm dilated and end when she is 10cm dilated during this phase the contractions occurs every 2-3min and last upto 10cm of the cervical dilatation.

An ideal labour pain relief method should meet the following criteria: having the least possible side effects for mother and fetus, having permanent effect, could be administered easily, having appropriate sedative effect without intervening the uterine contractions. Evidences suggested that acupressure/ice massage at LI 4 point Shortens the duration of the second stage of labour by enhancing the cervical dilatation and effacement without interfering with the normal uterine contractions.

A Quasi experimental non Randomized control group Research design utilized for this study, Sample consisted of 60 primigravida Mothers who Satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. Of sixty (60) primigravida Mothers, (30) were selected for treatment with ice massage at LI 4 point (group A) and remaining (30) were kept in control group without any intervention (group B). Post test data collected after the intervention.

Effectiveness of ice massage at LI 4 point was found effective in reducing the labour pain by 40% in experimental group and increment of 9% was observed in control group.

The above findings suggested that the ice massage at LI point is helpful in reducing the labour pain intensity during the active phase of labour, also a significant relationship was observed with age of the marriage, Educational Status, Type of activity performed during antenatal period of 1% level of significance.