J Korean Acad Nurs.  2007 Mar;37(2):163-170.

Effects of a Postpartum Back Pain Relief Program for Korean Women

• Oh HE
• Lee YS
• Shim MJ
• Kim JS

Abstract

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.

Keyword

Back pain; Functional limitations; Post-partum; Intervention

MeSH Terms

Activities of Daily Living
Adult
Back Pain/psychology/*therapy
Depression, Postpartum/etiology
Exercise
Female
Humans
Korea
Patient Education as Topic
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications/*therapy
*Prenatal Care
Puerperal Disorders/*prevention & control