Effect of Therapeutic Touch on Labor Pain and Hormone Levels

The Effect of Sacral Region-focused Therapeutic Touch Applied During the Latent Phase of Labour on Hormone Levels, Labour Comfort and Perception: A Randomized Sham Controlled Trialt

This study was conducted to determine the effect of sacral region-focused therapeutic touch applied during the latent phase of labour on hormone levels, labour comfort, and perception.

A randomized sham controlled trial design was used in the study, which was conducted with 50 primiparous pregnant women. While Therapeutic Touch (25) focused on sacral region was applied in the intervention group, Sham Therapeutic Touch (25) was applied in the control group. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Visual Analogue Scale, a Hormone Values Follow-up Form, the Childbirth Comfort Questionnaire and the Perception of Birth Scale.

Keywords: Labor Pain,Therapeutic Touch, Childbirth, Hormones

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the effect of sacral region-focused therapeutic touch applied during the latent phase of labour on hormone levels, labour comfort, and perception.

Method: This randomised sham controlled experimental trial was conducted with two groups (intervention and control groups) in a state hospital between 08 March 2022 and 01 April 2023. The sample size of the study was calculated using the G*power 3.1.9.6 programme. As a result of the calculation, twenty-five pregnant women for each group were included in the study. While Therapeutic Touch (TT) focused on sacral region was applied in the intervention group, Sham Therapeutic Touch (STT) was applied in the control group. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), a Hormone Values Follow-up Form, the Childbirth Comfort Questionnaire (CCQ) and the Perception of Birth Scale (PBS). IBM SPSS V25 programme was used for statistical analysis of the study. The statistical significance was assessed at the level of p<0.05.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being primipara,
• Having a gestational age of 38-42 weeks,
• Planning to have a normal vaginal delivery,
• Having a 3-4 cm dilation in the latent phase,
• Having a single fetus and head presentation,
• Speaking and communicating in Turkish,
• Agreeing to participate in the study,
• Having no high-risk pregnancy.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Receiving induction,
• Receiving labor analgesia/anesthesia,
• Having sensitivity or problems with touch,
• Having to leave during the intervention due to some reasons such as medical procedures, etc.