Date of Award
2022
Degree Type
Selective Evidence-Based Medicine Review
Degree Name
Master of Science in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant
Department
Physician Assistant Studies
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective evidence-based medicine (EBM) review is to determine whether or not “Does dancing reduce pain during the first stage of labor?”
STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of one randomized controlled trial (RCT), one single-blind RCT, and one cohort study.
DATA SOURCES: All articles were published in English in peer-reviewed journals between 2014-2020. The articles were obtained via PubMed, Academic Search Premier, AMED, CINHAL Plus, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and MEDLINE.
OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcome measured in all three studies was pain severity during labor. Outcomes were measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of 0 (no pain) to 10 (most severe pain ever experienced).
RESULTS: The RCT conducted by Abdolahian et al.9 found a statistically significant difference in pain scores between the dance intervention and control groups. The mean pain score 60 minutes after intervention in the dance group was 9.50 compared to 9.95 in the control group with a p-value of 0.036. The single-blind RCT conducted by Gönenç and Dikmen10 found a statistically significant difference in mean pain scores between the dance and music intervention group and control groups. The mean pain score 60 minutes after intervention in the dance and music group was 6.87 compared to 9.12 in the control group with a p-value of <0.001. The cohort study conducted by Akin and Saydam11 showed a statistically significant difference in mean pain scores between the dancing with spouse intervention group and control group at 9 cm of cervical dilation. The mean pain score in the dancing with spouse group was 8.60 after intervention compared to 9.17 in the control group with a p-value of 0.014.
CONCLUSION: All three studies evaluated in this review demonstrated statistically significant lower pain scores in dance intervention groups compared to control groups. This evidence supports dance during the active phase of labor as an effective method of pain control. Further studies should standardize the dance intervention and labor environment and use blinded raters to administer pain scales.
Recommended Citation
Krasicky, Mattea M., "Does Dancing Reduce Pain During the First Stage of Labor?" (2022). PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship. 618.
https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/pa_systematic_reviews/618