Researchers from Taiwan have published a study in the February, 2013 issue of Pain Management Nursing. The study examined the effect of acupressure on various types of pain. While labor pain was not the sole aim of the study, results showed labor pain improved.
Data for the study was collected from PubMed, Medline and other sources. All studies were completed between January 1996 and December 2011. Researchers were able to find 15 studies reported reduced pain in patients who had experienced chronic headache, labor pain, dysmenorrhea, lower back pain or another traumatic form of pain.
Conclusion: Past studies show labor, including lower back pain may be relieved using acupressure techniques. Acupressure is a part of some pregnancy massage and alternative pain relief options during labor, but few clinical settings use acupressure as a standard means of reducing labor pain. Additional studies are needed to pinpoint just how effective acupressure is as a means of pain relief during labor.
Source: Chen YW, Wang HH. The Effectiveness of Acupressure on Relieving Pain: A Systematic Review. Pain Manag Nurs. 2013 Feb 15. pii: S1524-9042(12)00187-7. doi: 10.1016/j.pmn.2012.12.005.