The Effectiveness of Effleurage Massage in Reducing Labor Pain During the Active Phase of the First Stage of Labor at the Lolak Community Health Center
Keywords:
Effleurage Massage, Labor Pain, Midwifery Care, Nonpharmacological Intervention, Pain IntensityAbstract
Labor pain during the active phase of the first stage of labor is one of the main complaints experienced by laboring mothers and can affect their comfort, physiological responses, and the smooth progress of labor if not optimally managed. One nonpharmacological method that can be used to reduce pain is effleurage massage, a gentle massage technique that provides a relaxing effect and increases the release of endorphins. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of effleurage massage in reducing labor pain during the active phase of the first stage of labor at the Lolak Community Health Center. The study employed a pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest design. The sample consisted of 30 women in the active phase of the first stage of labor, selected using total sampling. Pain intensity was measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) before and after the intervention, then analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test with a 95% confidence level. The results showed that before the intervention, most respondents experienced moderate pain (63.3%) and severe pain (36.7%). After receiving effleurage massage, the majority of respondents experienced mild pain (56.7%), and no cases of severe pain were found. The results of the Wilcoxon test indicated a significant effect of effleurage massage on reducing labor pain intensity (p=0.000). Effleurage massage can be an effective, safe, and easy-to-administer nonpharmacological intervention and is recommended as part of midwifery care to improve maternal comfort during labor.
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