EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPERVISED PHYSIOTHERAPY INTERVENTIONS DURING LABOR ON PAIN PERCEPTION AND LABOR DURATION AMONG PRIMIPARA IN UAE: A PILOT STUDY

Z. Altabba¹, A. Koudsi¹, L. Abdelhamid¹, S. Ramakrishnan^2,3, A. Gopakumar⁴, S. Eashak⁵, A.H. Abddelaziz⁶, P.K. Kandakurti⁷, M. Bose⁸

¹Gulf Medical University, BPT Graduate, Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, Ajman, United Arab Emirates, ²Gulf Medical University, Lecturer, Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, Ajman, United Arab Emirates, ³University of Sharjah, Lecturer, Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, ⁴Emirates Health Services, Statistical Specialist, Data & Statistics Department (DSD), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, ⁵Thumbay Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Hospital, Chair, Physical Therapy, Ajman, United Arab Emirates, ⁶Thumbay University Hospital, Specialist, Centre for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ajman, United Arab Emirates, ⁷Gulf Medical University, Physiotherapy & Dean, College of Health Sciences, Ajman, United Arab Emirates, ⁸Gulf Medical University, Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Background: Studies in the United Arab Emirates are lacking the physiotherapist’s role in the labor room; hence this study aims to raise the awareness about the importance of these approaches and how they will make the delivery process easier.

Purpose: This research study was conducted to demonstrate the role of physiotherapists in labor by using breathing exercises and upright positioning in the latent first stage of labor, as well as to determine their effects on pain perception, stress, and anxiety and labor duration.

Methods: The participants were divided into two groups, first the control group and were only provided antenatal education. The second group is the experimental group, which included antenatal education and labor room supervision of breathing exercises and upright positioning. Each participant received 5-10 minutes of positioning and 5-10 minutes of breathing exercises, followed by a 15-20 minute break, and then another cycle of the same till the completion of the latent stage of labor. Depending on their preferences, both groups received the exercise videos and flyers in Arabic and English. In the statistical analysis, the mean and standard deviation were used to compare the results in individual groups along with the chi-square test to compare between groups results, a p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.

Results: The mean labor time for the experimental group was reported to be (7.50±7), whereas it was (11.3±2.6)for the control group. The mean VAS scores in the experimental group were (8±0.8)two hours after the initial reading, while they were (9.8±0.5)in the control group. The mean stress and anxiety scores in the control group at 6 cms of dilation were (18.3±3.3)and increased to (22.5±4.4), in contrast to the experimental group, where the initial stress and anxiety score reading was (13.5±6.2)and only increased by two points and a half as it reached. The experimental group CEQ readings had a mean of (10.3±1.0)compared to the control groupmean of(7.3±1.9)at 12 hours post-natal.

Conclusions: It was found that applying upright positioning and breathing exercises decreases the perception of pain, gives the women comfort and security during labor, helps in reducing their level of stress and anxiety, and shortens the labor duration. Further research is required because variables like height and age may have affected the findings.

Implications: Implementing physiotherapeutic techniques in the labor room is a starting point for identifying the issue with the current underuse of these methods for pain relief, anxiety and shortening the duration of labor. In the concept generation stage of the integrative research framework, the contribution of physiotherapists is essential to enable in-depth assessment of the present barriers to best practice.

Funding acknowledgements: This research was not directly funded, it was supported by Gulf Medical University and Thumbay University Hospital, Ajman, UAE.

Keywords:
Management during labor in UAE
Physiotherapy
Supervised interventions

Topics:
Pelvic, sexual and reproductive health
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Pain & pain management

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Gulf Medical University

Committee: Institutional Review Board

Ethics number: IRB/COHS/STD/31/FEB-2022