{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T12:02:44Z","timestamp":1787313764747,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,24]],"date-time":"2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1740355200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":54,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,1]],"date-time":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735689600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Pain Research and Management"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,1]]},"abstract":"\n Context<\/jats:title>\n Intense, uncontrolled pain during labor can have negative outcomes for both the mother and the baby, but this can be prevented by utilizing pain\u2010relieving techniques. Childbirth is a natural physiological process, and it is important to prioritize non\u2010pharmacological methods such as acupressure in managing the associated pain.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n The present research aims to determine the effects of acupressure on the eighth point of the extra\u2010back meridian (EX\u2010B8) for pain relief during childbirth in primiparous women.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Design<\/jats:title>\n This study was a randomized, single\u2010blind, sham\u2010controlled trial.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Setting<\/jats:title>\n This study was conducted at Shahid Rasulullah Hospital in Nikshahr, Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Patients or Other Participants<\/jats:title>\n \n Ninety primiparous mothers in the active phase of the first stage of labor were selected and randomly divided into three groups: acupressure on EX\u2010B8 (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009=\u200930), sham (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009=\u200930), and control group (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009=\u200930).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Intervention(s)<\/jats:title>\n The acupressure and sham groups received acupressure for 20\u2009min during their uterine contractions at three different time points: when cervical dilatation was at 4\u20105\u2009cm, 6\u20107\u2009cm, and 8\u201310\u2009cm, totaling 60\u2009min. The control group received routine labor care.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Main Outcome Measure(s)<\/jats:title>\n Pain intensity was assessed using a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) before, 10\u2009min after, and 20\u2009min after the start of the intervention at three different time points.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Pain intensity was significantly lower in the EX\u2010B8 acupressure group compared to the sham and control groups at all three time points of the intervention (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n < 0.05). In the EX\u2010B8 group, the greatest amount of pain relief was achieved during dilatation of 8\u201310\u2009cm, compared to dilatations of 4\u20105 and 6\u20107\u2009cm (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.0001). Maternal and neonatal outcomes did not differ significantly between the three groups (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n > 0.05).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n The current study found that applying acupressure on EX\u2010B8 effectively reduced pain during labor. Acupressure on this point can be recommended as an effective, low\u2010cost, and accessible pain\u2010relieving technique, especially at the end of the active phase of the first stage of labor. Further studies are needed to determine why acupressure on this point is more effective at the end of the active phase of labor.<\/jats:p>\n \n Trial Registration:<\/jats:bold>\n Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT20211108053006N1\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1155\/prm\/7873155","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]],"date-time":"2025-03-11T23:39:20Z","timestamp":1741736360000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["The Effect of EX\u2010B8 Acupressure on Labor Pain: A Randomized, Single\u2010Blind, Sham\u2010Controlled Trial"],"prefix":"10.1155","volume":"2025","author":[{"given":"Hannaneh","family":"Azadeh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Reza","family":"Heshmat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1496-7442","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Malihe","family":"Nasiri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4496-172X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fatemeh","family":"Azarkish","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7330-1037","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sedigheh","family":"Sedigh Mobarakabadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_11_1_2","first-page":"641","article-title":"Maternal Side-Effects of Continuous vs. Intermittent Method of EntonoxDuring Labor: A Randomized Clinical Trial","volume":"15","author":"Agah J.","year":"2016","journal-title":"Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_2_2","volume-title":"Childbirth Without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth","author":"Dick-Read G.","year":"2004"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00000542-198311000-00011"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0002-9378(78)90742-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0028-2243(95)02058-Z"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1624\/105812401X88273"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_7_2","volume-title":"Acupuncture: Textbook and Atlas","author":"Stux G.","year":"2012"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_8_2","unstructured":"Gateway to Chinese Medicine Health and Wellness Shiqizhui 2023 http:\/\/acupuncture.com\/education\/points\/extrapoints\/shiqizhui.htm."},{"key":"e_1_2_11_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jep.2013.04.045"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_10_2","first-page":"199","article-title":"Observation on Immediate Analgesic Effect of Acupuncture at Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) Only or Multi-Acupoints in Patients With Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Controlled Trial","volume":"31","author":"Li Y.-M.","year":"2011","journal-title":"Zhongguo Zhen Jiu"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_11_2","first-page":"110","article-title":"Observation on Therapeutic Effect of Acupuncture at Shiqizhui (Extra) for Primary Dysmenorrhea at Different Time","volume":"31","author":"Bu Y.-Q.","year":"2011","journal-title":"Zhongguo Zhen Jiu"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_12_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4082\/kjfm.21.0103"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_13_2","volume-title":"Maternity and Women\u2019s Health Care E-Book","author":"Lowdermilk D. 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