• Hsuesh-Yu Cheng, Bei-Yu Wu, Tao-Hsin Tung, Carol Shieh, and Chun-Ting Liu.
• Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; School of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
• Pain Manag Nurs. 2023 Feb 1; 24 (1): 899589-95.

BackgroundUnresolved postpartum LBP may affect women...s physical and psychological health.AimTo investigate the analgesic effects of laser acupuncture therapy (LAT) for postpartum LBP.MethodPostpartum women with LBP were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group from November 2017 to July 2018. The participants in the intervention group received LAT and standard care. The participants in the control group received only standard care. The primary outcome was the Visual Analogue Scale for LBP. Secondary outcomes were limitation of daily activities and physical activity; perceived stress scale; and salivary cortisol values.ResultsIn all, 106 participants were recruited and assigned to the intervention group or the control group. As compared with the control group, the participants in the LAT group had significantly lower intensity of LBP (mean ± SD: 1.21 ± 0.99 vs 3.25 ± 1.14; p < .001), limitations of daily activities (mean ± SD: 3.17 ± 2.09 vs 10.40 ± 4.72; p < .001) and physical activity (mean ± SD: 3.04 ± 2.17 vs 9.79 ± 4.71; p < .001), perceived stress (mean ± SD: 26.13 ± 3.97 vs 28.85 ± 4.26; p = .001), and salivary cortisol levels (mean ± SD: 0.194 ± 0.131 vs 0.280 ± 0.234; p = .02) post-intervention.ConclusionsFor postpartum LBP, LAT combined with standard care had greater analgesic efficacy, lower perceived stress, lower limitations of daily activities and physical activity, and lower salivary cortisol levels than standard care alone.Copyright © 2022 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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