Pain relief for the first stage of labour using an electric massage chair

Massage chair as pain relief in the first stage of labour in nulliparas: A randomised cross-over trial (MASPAR)

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN78483098

Enrollment

200

Registered

2022-08-03

Start date

2022-08-04

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-09-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Pain relief in labour Pregnancy and Childbirth

Interventions

Nulliparous women at term in the first stage of labour will be randomised to 30 minutes on the electric massage chair with the massaging function switched on then cross over to 30 minutes with the mas

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Female

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Nulliparous (no previous pregnancy beyond 20 weeks) 2. Aged 18 years old and over 3. 37 weeks gestation and over 4. Singleton pregnancy 5. Cephalic presentation 6. Reassuring cardiotocogram in last 1 hour 7. Cervical dilation 4-8 cm 8. Contraction = 3 in 10 minutes 9. Pain score = 5 (0-10 NRS)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. High-risk pregnancies (pre-eclampsia, active hemorrhage) 2. No prior pain relief (epidural, opiates, nitrous oxide or pain relief device) 3. Meconium-stained liquor 4. Oxytocin dose adjustment in the last hour 5. Bladder catheter in place 6. Delivery anticipated within the next 2 hours

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Pain score (0 to 10 numerical rating scale) measured using an 11-point visual numerical rating scale (VNRS) (0 scoring as no pain at all to 10 as the worst pain imaginable) immediately after each 30-minute session on the massage chair with the massage function switched on or off	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Maternal outcomes: 1. Mode of delivery measured by reviewing patient’s notes after delivery 2. Intervention to delivery interval measured by reviewing patient’s notes after delivery 3. Epidural anaesthesia in labour measured by reviewing patient’s notes after delivery 4. Likert scale response to the questionnaire on pain relieving effectiveness of the massage by the massage chair after delivery Neonatal outcomes: 4. Umbilical cord arterial pH measured by reviewing patient’s notes at birth 5. Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes measured by reviewing patient’s notes at birth 6. Neonatal admission measured by reviewing patient’s notes at birth	—

Measure

Time frame

Maternal outcomes: 1. Mode of delivery measured by reviewing patient’s notes after delivery 2. Intervention to delivery interval measured by reviewing patient’s notes after delivery 3. Epidural anaesthesia in labour measured by reviewing patient’s notes after delivery 4. Likert scale response to the questionnaire on pain relieving effectiveness of the massage by the massage chair after delivery Neonatal outcomes: 4. Umbilical cord arterial pH measured by reviewing patient’s notes at birth 5. Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes measured by reviewing patient’s notes at birth 6. Neonatal admission measured by reviewing patient’s notes at birth

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Countries

Malaysia

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026