Non-pharmacological strategies on pain relief during labor: pre-testing of an instrument

This descriptive study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Strategies (NFS) on pain relief of parturients as part of a research instrument to be utilized in a Doctoral Dissertation. In order to evaluate the NFS, the Analogous Visual Scale (AVS) was used on 30 parturients attended at the Humanized Labor Unit of a school-maternity hospital in Natal, RN, Brazil. Of the six NFS (respiratory exercises, muscular relaxation, lumbossacral massage, shower washing, deambulation and pelvic swing), two were excluded posttest (deambulation and pelvic swing) for not being accepted by the parturients. The remaining NFS (respiratory exercises, muscular relaxation, lumbossacral massage, and shower washing) which reached satisfactory acceptation and applicability rates, were found to be effective in relieving pain of these parturients, and thus deemed adequate for use in the Doctoral Dissertation data collection process.