Effects of a Postpartum Back Pain Relief Program for Korean Women / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: Despite the high prevalence of back pain and its subsequent effects in post-partum women, intervention programs are scarce. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a back-pain-reducing program on post-partum women who experienced low-back pain during pregnancy. METHODS: A non-equivalent control-group pretest-posttest design was used. Pregnant women who attended a hospital for prenatal check-ups and experienced back pain participated in an intervention program (n=27), and the results were compared with women in a control group from another hospital (n=25). RESULTS: At 8 weeks post-partum, the pain intensity, functional limitations were lower in the intervention group than in the control group. However, differences in mean change of the pain intensity and functional limitations between 36 and 39 weeks of gestation and at 8 weeks post-partum were not statistically significant between the groups. Moreover, the flexibility, post-partum functional status, and post-partum depression did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: A back-pain-relief program in this study was not effective to reduce the back-pain intensity in post-partum women and to decrease the associated functional limitations. The implications for nursing practice and directions for future research are discussed.

A Study on Back Pain, Pain Disability, and Labour Pain of Postpartum Women / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to look into back pain, pain disability, labour pain, and related areas of pain experienced by postpartum women. METHOD: A survey about pain including a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry pain disability, and pain drawing was used in a descriptive research method on 98 women 2-3 days after delivery. RESULT: 57.1% of those surveyed reported experiencing back pain before pregnancy. 75.5% reported experiencing back pain during pregnancy. The average starting time of back pain for pregnant women was 2.9 months into pregnancy. 48.8% reported the most severe back pain in the last trimester of pregnancy, while most women complained of left and right pubic pain and lumbar area pain during pregnancy. Statistical relations were calculated and menstrual symptoms (F=5.938, p=0.004), back pain prior to pregnancy (F=4.714, p=0.000), back pain during pregnancy (F=-3.429, p=0.001), and back pain disability prior to pregnancy (F=-1.994). CONCLUSION: There is a relation in postpartum women's back pain between back pain prior to pregnancy and back pain during pregnancy. Pelvic examinations early in pregnancy can determine if back pain will change for the worse or relapse. Therefore, the application of a pain relieving nursing intervention is needed.

A Study on the Relation of Functional Limitation, Functional Disability and Back Pain during Pregnancy / 여성건강간호학회지

The purpose of this study is to identify the relation between functional limitation, functional disability and back pain during pregnancy. Data was collected by interview or self-report from 66 pregnant women between the gestational ages of 17 and 22 weeks who had experienced back pain from February 17 through July 28, 2001. The results of this study are as follows; 1. The prevalent mean week of back pain starting during pregnancy was 12.8. The mean pain intensity scores on the VAS during the past week and now were 5.6 and 3.7. The mean score on the functional limitations was 38.9. The mean score on the functional disability was 19.7. 2. The pain intensity on the past week was correlated with the pain intensity now (r=.339, p<0.01) and the functional limitations (r=.251, p<0.05). The pain intensity now was correlated with the functional limitations (r=.295, p<0.05) and the functional disability (r=.429, p<0.01). The functional limitations was correlated with the functional disability (r=.229, p<0.01). The higher pain intensity was the more functional limitation and functional disability occurred. 3. There was a statistically significant correlation between the pain intensity now and the type of housing (t=-2.051, p=.045), and back pain history before pregnancy (t=-2.429 p=.003). 4. There was a statistically significant correlation between the functional limitation and income (F=2.803, p=.047) and back pain history before pregnancy (t=-3.225, p=.002). There was a statistically significant correlation between the functional disability and back pain history before pregnancy (t=-3.058 p=.003). In conclusion, we found that a history of back pain was an important factor when predicting back pain and functional disability and limitation during pregnancy. The nurse and the prenatal educator should detect risk factors of back pain early in pregnancy and manage continuously though pregnancy.