%0 Journal Article %A M Pilevarzadeh %A S Salari %A N Shafiei %B Journal of Reproduction & Infertility %C Tehran, Iran %D 2002 %T Effect of massage on reducing pain and anxiety during labour %J JRI %> https://www.jri.ir/documents/fullpaper/fa/102.pdf %U https://www.jri.ir/article/102 %K Massage, Anxiety, Nursing intervention, Childbirth, Labor pain %P 42-47 %V 3 %N 4 %G Persian %I Avicenna Research Institute %( Avicenna Research Institute %@ 2251-676X %X Labour pain is one of the most severe forms of pain that each women may experience during her life. Severe pain makes stress response with harmful effects on both mother, and her fetus. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of massage therapy on relieving pain and its harmful sequel such as anxiety during labour. This clinical trial was performed on sixty nulliparous women selected randomly who were expected to have a normal childbirth in the Jiroft city hospital. Cases were randomly assigned to experimental (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. The experimental group received massage intervention. The nurse-rated Present Behavioral Intensity (PBI) was used as a measure of labour pain. Anxiety was measured by the Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety (VASA). The intensity of pain and anxiety between these two groups were compared in the latent phase (cervix dilated 3-4cm), active phase (cervix dilated 5-7cm) and transitional phase (cervix dilated 8-10cm) of labour. In both groups, there was an increase in pain intensity and anxiety level as labor progressed. Results of T-test analysis demonstrated that the experiment group had significantly lower pain reaction in all three phases (Phase1 P=0.000, Phase2 P=0.002, Phase3 P=0.000) and anxiety levels were significantly different between two groups only in latent phase (P=0.00). Eighty seven percent (n=26) of cases in experimental group expressed that massage was helpful, provided pain relief and psychological support during labour (P<0.40). Our findings suggest that massage is a cost effective nursing intervention that can decrease pain and anxiety during labour and nurses intervention to perform massage could have positive effect on delivery experience. It is suggested that massage be used for decreasing pain and anxiety during labour.