Alexander Technique on Labor Pain and Anxiety
The Effect of the Alexander Technique on Labor Pain and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Study Overview
Detailed Description
Pain during childbirth has been described as the most severe pain women experience throughout their life course. Labor pain is a result of physiologic changes in the uterus. Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods are used in the management of pain, which is a physiologic process. Nonpharmacological methods help women to feel comfortable in labor and contribute to women to have a positive birth experience by providing relaxation and reducing pain perception through cognitive, psychological and physical methods (Adil et al., 2020; Thompson et al. 2019). In addition, midwives who are with the woman during the birth process use non-pharmacological methods in an independent role in the management of labor pain, and this is also effective in alleviating the burden on current health expenditures. Alexander Technique appears as a non-pharmacologic method. In the literature, there is no study on the application of the Alexander Technique in the management of labor pain. It is assumed that the current posture and position to be provided with the Alexander Technique will be effective on pain and anxiety during the birth process. It is necessary to conduct studies on the use of the Alexander Technique in the birth process and evaluate the results.
This study will be the first study on the Alexander Technique to be applied to women in labor. The research to be conducted is planned as a randomized controlled experimental study. The population of the study consists of 68 primiparous pregnant women who applied to Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, D-Block Maternity Hospital between November 2023 and May 2024. Simple random sampling method will be used for the sample of the study. Pregnant women included in the study will be informed about the study and 'Informed Consent Form' and 'Voluntary Consent Form' will be filled. 'Personal Information Form', 'Visual Analog Scale (VAS)', 'Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS)' and 'Oxford Birth Anxiety Scale (OWLS)' will be applied to the pregnant women included in the experimental group. After the initial data is collected, the principles in the Alexander Technique will be applied when the woman's cervical dilatation is 0-4 cm. The duration of the application is approximately 15 minutes and the researcher will take an active role with the woman accompanied by a counselor during this period. The second application will be applied when the cervical dilatation is 5-7 cm and the third application will be applied when the cervical dilatation is 8-10 cm. 'Visual Analog Scale (VAS)' will be applied after each application. 'Visual Analog Scale (VAS)', 'Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS)' and 'Oxford Birth Anxiety Scale (OWLS)' will be applied at the 2nd hour after delivery.
Study Type
Enrollment (Estimated)
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
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Istanbul, Turkey
- Recruiting
- Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital
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Contact:
- Ayşen Özgür
- Phone Number: +905393806296
- Email: aysenozgurr@gmail.com
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Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- Adult
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Volunteer to participate in the study,
- Between the ages of 18-35,
- Primiparous and singleton pregnant,
- Women at term (between 37 and 41 weeks of gestation) will be included in the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Risky pregnancies,
- Women who become pregnant as a result of assisted reproductive techniques,
- Delivery by caesarean section,
- Wanting to leave without working,
- Women undergoing analgesia at any stage of the labor process will be excluded from the study.
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
- Masking: Double
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
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Experimental: Experimental group
The application of the Alexander Technique to the women included in the experimental group will be created by providing body awareness by directing their current posture and movements in line with three principles.
In this way, self-management of the birth process in primiparous women will be established.
In order to develop the body awareness of the primiparous woman, the Alexander Technique will be applied with the training program created by the researcher in line with the three principles.
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Alexander technique will be applied to the experimental group.
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Other: Conventional group
The conventional (control group) will receive routine midwifery care during the birth process.
Routine midwifery care includes follow-up of the pregnant woman and the baby and uninterrupted midwife support during the birth process.
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Alexander technique will be applied to the experimental group.
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What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
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Decreasing labor pain
Time Frame: During labor, the first assessment will be performed when cervical dilatation is 0-4 cm, the second assessment when cervical dilatation is 5-7 cm and the third assessment when cervical dilatation is 8-10 cm.
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Alexander Technique applied in labor pain management has a decreasing effect on labor pain.
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During labor, the first assessment will be performed when cervical dilatation is 0-4 cm, the second assessment when cervical dilatation is 5-7 cm and the third assessment when cervical dilatation is 8-10 cm.
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Decreasing anxiety
Time Frame: During labor, the first assessment will be performed when cervical dilatation is 0-4 cm, the second assessment when cervical dilatation is 5-7 cm and the third assessment when cervical dilatation is 8-10 cm.
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The Alexander Technique applied in labor pain management has a reducing effect on anxiety during labor.
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During labor, the first assessment will be performed when cervical dilatation is 0-4 cm, the second assessment when cervical dilatation is 5-7 cm and the third assessment when cervical dilatation is 8-10 cm.
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Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Publications and helpful links
General Publications
- Hanefeld N, Glover L, Jomeen J, Wadephul F. Women's experiences of using the Alexander Technique in the postpartum: '...in a way, it's just as beneficial as sleep'. Midwifery. 2021 Dec;103:103155. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2021.103155. Epub 2021 Oct 1.
- Kinsey, D., Glover, L., & Wadephul, F. (2021). How does the Alexander Technique lead to psychological and non-physical outcomes? A realist review. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 46, 101371.
- Klein SD, Bayard C, Wolf U. The Alexander Technique and musicians: a systematic review of controlled trials. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014 Oct 24;14:414. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-414.
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
Primary Completion (Estimated)
Study Completion (Estimated)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- MarmaraU-Ebe-ZDY-01
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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