Auricular Acupressure, Episiotomy Pain
Conditions
Keywords
episiotomy, auricular acupressure, pain, impact on daily life, satisfaction with pain management
Brief summary
This randomized, single-blind controlled trial examined the effects of auricular acupressure on postpartum women who underwent episiotomy. A total of 86 participants were allocated to either an intervention group, which received routine care plus transparent auricular patches containing magnetic beads applied to selected acupoints, or a control group, which received identical patches without magnetic beads. The patches were applied for 48 hours after delivery. Perineal pain and its impact on daily activities were assessed at 2, 12, 24, and 48 hours postpartum, while satisfaction with perineal pain care was measured at 48 hours. Using independent t-tests, chi-square tests, and generalized estimating equations, the study evaluated whether auricular acupressure reduced perineal wound pain, lessened pain-related interference with daily activities, and improved satisfaction with perineal pain management.
Interventions
DEVICEauricular patch
After placental delivery, the intervention group received routine care plus a transparent patented auricular patch containing magnetic beads, while the control group received a transparent patented auricular patch without magnetic beads. The selected acupoints included internal genitalia (TF2), external genitalia (HX4), Shenmen (TF4), sympathetic (AH6a), and subcortex (AT4)
Sponsors
HSIAO AI WEN
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Masking description
This study design was a randomized controlled single-blind trial.
Intervention model description
participants were postpartum women who had undergone episiotomy and were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group using an Excel-generated random allocation table. A total of 90 patients were enrolled, with 4 excluded, resulting in 43 participants in each group. Demographic data were collected before the intervention. After placental delivery, the intervention group received routine care plus a transparent patented auricular patch containing magnetic beads, while the control group received a transparent patented auricular patch without magnetic beads. The selected acupoints included internal genitalia (TF2), external genitalia (HX4), Shenmen (TF4), sympathetic (AH6a), and subcortex (AT4).
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
-Inclusion Criteria- 1. Women with singleton pregnancies who delivered vaginally. 2. Women who underwent episiotomy. 3. Gestational age between 37 and 42 weeks. 4. Willing to participate in the study and provide signed informed consent. 5. Age 18 years or older. -
Exclusion criteria
- 1. Women with skin lesions or allergies at the auricular acupressure site. 2. Women with gynecological disorders, such as uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, or endometriosis. 3. Women or newborns with severe postpartum complications, such as postpartum hemorrhage, infection, perineal hematoma, major neonatal diseases, or admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. 4. Women with psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety or depression.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| perineal pain | At 2, 12, 24, and 48 hours postpartum | Structured questionnaires were used to assess perineal pain and its impact on daily activities at 2, 12, 24, and 48 hours postpartum. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| impact on daily life | At 2, 12, 24, and 48 hours postpartum | Structured questionnaires were used to assess perineal pain and its impact on daily activities at 2, 12, 24, and 48 hours postpartum. |
| satisfaction with pain management | At 48 hours postpartum | At 48 hours postpartum, and satisfaction with perineal pain care at 48 hours |
Countries
Taiwan
Outcome results
None listed