Up to 30% of women experience severe back pain in labour. In qualitative studies women have described how labour back pain limited their mobility and altered their plans for analgesia use. Injections of small amounts of sterile water into the skin of the lower back are used to alleviate back pain for up to two hours. Whilst much research supports the effectiveness of the technique, critics suggest a placebo effect or dismiss the procedure as ‘midwifery voodoo’. This presentation will examine the causes and physiology of back pain in labour, examine and critique the research into sterile water injections, and describe the various techniques, benefits and limitations for use in clinical practice. Finally, I will discuss strategies for and dealing with barriers to implementation.
Learning Objectives:
1: Identify risk factors for and describe the physiology of back pain in labour.
2: List the research surrounding the use of sterile water injections.
3: Describe the procedure and techniques for using sterile water injections in labour.
4: Design strategies for implementation.
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