Ice massage at a lower-leg pressure point reduced childbirth pain and anxiety while improving comfort without reported harm.
In a single-masked randomized controlled study, first-time mothers in labor were assigned to receive either routine midwifery care or rotational ice massage at a lower-leg pressure point during contractions at several stages of cervical dilation. All participants received oxytocin to support labor progression. Researchers assessed pain, labor comfort, duration of labor, and anxiety using participant information forms, rating scales, labor records, a childbirth comfort questionnaire, and an anxiety questionnaire.
Women who received ice massage reported less pain at each assessed stage of labor and greater overall comfort during advanced first-stage labor than those receiving standard care. Higher anxiety was associated with lower comfort, and the intervention was reported to reduce anxiety without causing adverse events.
