Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Mar;11(1):100758.
doi: 10.1016/j.imr.2021.100758. Epub 2021 Jul 22.

The effectiveness and safety of complementary health approaches to managing postpartum pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Caroline A Smith  1   2 , Emma Hill  3 , Anna Denejkina  1   2   4 , Charlene Thornton  5 , Hannah G Dahlen  3
Affiliations
Review

The effectiveness and safety of complementary health approaches to managing postpartum pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Caroline A Smith et al. Integr Med Res. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Women experience pain from a number of causes during the postpartum period. Although pharmacological pain relief has shown to be effective, the efficacy of non-pharmacological methods of pain relief will be of interest to breastfeeding women. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the efficacy and safety of complementary approaches to manage postpartum pain.

Methods: A search of English language databases from their inception to 2020 was undertaken for randomised controlled trials and included primiparous and multiparous women who experienced postpartum pain up to two weeks post birth. The primary outcome was pain. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.

Results: Thirty trials were included in the review, 25 trials (2,413 women) were included in the meta-analysis. Two trials of massage found a reduction in pain following caesarean birth within the first 24 h post birth (MD -2.64, 95-2.82 to -2.46, 184 women, I2 0%), and at seven days postpartum (MD -1.91, 95%CI -2.42 to -1.40, 2 trials, 120 women I2 37%). Two trials conducted with women receiving an episiotomy found reduction in perineal pain from herbal ointments within 24 h (MD -1.33, 95% CI -.96 to -0.70, 221 women) and at 14 days postpartum (MD -0.74, 95% CI -1.02 to -0.47, 4 trials). Few trials reported on safety, few trials were at an overall low risk of bias, and overall the quality of evidence was very low.

Conclusion: Further high quality trials are needed to determine the safety and effectiveness of herbal ointment and massage during the early postpartum period.

Keywords: Complementary therapies; Postpartum pain; Systematic review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study flow diagram.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Risk of bias assessment.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Effect of massage on pain using.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Effect of herbal ointment on pain.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Deussen A.R., Ashwood P., Martis R., et al. Relief of pain due to uterine cramping/involution after birth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;10 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mackenzie J., Murray E., Lusher J. Women's experiences of pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain: a systematic review. Midwifery. 2018;56:102–111. - PubMed
    1. Leap N., Anderson T. In: Normal Childbirth: Evidence and Debate. Downe S., editor. Churchill Livingstone; Edinburgh: 2008. The role of pain and the empowerment of women.
    1. Cooklin A.R., Amir L.H., Jarman J., et al. Maternal physical health symptoms in the first 8 weeks postpartum among primiparous Australian women. Birth. 2015;42(3):254–260. - PubMed
    1. Heitmann K., Schjøtt J. Safe mother medicine: aiming to increase women's empowerment in use of medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Matern Child Health J. 2020;24(5):531–536. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources