Effect of Change in Position and Back Massage on Pain Perception during First Stage of Labor

Background: Labor is one of the most painful events in a women's life. Frequent change in positions and back massage may be effective in reducing pain during the first stage of labor. Aim: The focus of this study was to identify the impact of either change in position or back massage on pain perception during first stage of labor. Design: A quasi-experimental study. Setting: Teaching hospital, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, November 2014 to October 2015. Subjects: Eighty women were interviewed as a study sample when admitted to the labor and delivery area and divided into three groups: 20 women received frequent changes in position (group A), 20 women received back massage (Group B), and 40 women constituted the control group (group C). Methods: A structured interview questionnaire to collect background data was completed by the researcher in personal interviews with the mothers. The intervention was performed at three points in each group, and pain perception was measured after each intervention using the Face Pain Scale. Results: The mean rank of the difference in pain scores among the study groups was as follows after the first, second, and third interventions, respectively: group A-52.33, 47.00, 49.2; group B-32.8, 30.28, 30.38; group C-38.44, 42.36, 41.21. There were significant differences between groups A, B, and C after the first, second, and third interventions (p1 = .011, p2 = .042, p3 = .024). Conclusions: Back massage may be a more effective pain management approach than change in position during the first stage of labor.