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Constipation is a frequent digestive complaint affecting expectant mothers. Hormonal alteration, reduced physical activity, and dietary modifications often worsen bowel movement irregularities.
Acupressure provides greater and longer-lasting relief from pregnancy-related constipation compared to reflexology.
Constipation is a frequent digestive complaint affecting expectant mothers. Hormonal alteration, reduced physical activity, and dietary modifications often worsen bowel movement irregularities.
A quasi-experimental study was performed among 90 pregnant women attending 3 health centers in Iran. Volunteers were randomly assigned to 3 groups: acupressure (n=30), reflexology (n=30), and control (n=30). The Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) for pregnancy was used prior to the intervention and then twice weekly for 4 weeks. The control group was treated with only routine prenatal care, while the other two groups received targeted acupressure or reflexology sessions.
Both acupressure and reflexology markedly improved constipation symptoms over the 4-week intervention period. The acupressure group exhibited the greatest reduction in constipation severity when compared to both the reflexology and control groups. In contrast, the control group displayed only short-term improvement in the first 3 weeks, followed by a rebound in constipation severity by week 4.
Both acupressure and reflexology successfully relieved constipation during pregnancy, with acupressure showing superior benefits. These results support the integration of acupressure as a safe and effective complementary therapy for mitigating pregnancy-related constipation.
European Journal of Medical Research
Effect of acupressure and reflexology on pregnancy constipation: a quasi-experimental study
Fahimeh Jamshidi Broon et al.
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