The Effect of Auricular Acupressure on Postpartum Perineal Pain: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background and objectives: One of the potentially effective methods for relieving postpartum perineal pain is auricular acupressure. This review aimed to evaluate the clinical effect of auricular acupressure on postpartum perineal pain in a systematic review. Material and Methods: An extensive systematic search was performed on online electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Cochrane using the keywords related to the purpose, from the earliest to June 30, 2021. Results: Of 263 articles, three studies were included in the review. A total of 386 women with a mean age of 29.79 years were included in the review. Of the participants, 192 women were in the intervention group. Of the studies included, two studies evaluated auricular acupressure, and one study evaluated battlefield auricular acupuncture plus standard analgesia. Overall, the number of acupressure points varied from 3 to 5. In most cases, auricular acupressure was used at points of Shen Men (n=3) and the external genital area (n=2). Overall, auricular acupressure in one study out of three studies had a significant effect on reducing postpartum perineal pain. Two out of three studies reported no side effects of auricular acupressure for participants. Conclusion: It seems that auricular acupressure can be used as a simple, low-cost, and practical intervention to reduce postpartum perineal pain. However, future well-designed studies are needed to confirm the findings of this systematic review.