Pain, like people, comes in all sorts and varieties. It is extremely hard to determine the amount of pain individuals can tolerate. This makes every decision of pain management an individual choice. It seems only fair for the person who is experiencing the pain to make a choice on the type of pain managment they choose, whether it be non-pharmacological, pharmacological, or both. So, in conclusion, we leave you with the information that we, as students, have gleaned from research articles, books, and web pages. There is no definitive answer for the question, "What type of pain managment should I choose for my pregnancy?" You, as the patient, have to decide that for yourself from the information you have been given. However, we conclude, through the information provided on this web page, that there are viable methods of non-pharmacological pain relief available. We also believe that these methods of pain relief are not guaranteed to cause a pain-free labor. Most of the methods we have discussed do lessen the amount of pain; but, unlike narcotics, analgesic, and epidurals, they do not totally extinguish the pain experienced during labor.

Through research, we have concluded these facts about the individual methods of pain relief. These conclusions are based upon our studies. Please decide the right method of pain relief for yourself through consulting your health care provider and looking at all the options of pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of pain relief.

We believe that music therapy can help to calm the soul and lessen the pain of labor through visualization and focusing; however, the majority of people who use music therapy still find that they experience some type of pain.

We believe massage therapy can decrease the risk for episiotomies and lessen the amount of pain associated with labor by relaxation; however, massage therapy will not totally decrease the pain experienced during labor.

We believe acupuncture and acupressure are both viable methods of pain relief that can cause your body to relax and your stress levels to decrease (all resulting in lower pain); however, acupressure and acupuncture have not been proven to take away all pain associated with labor.

We believe the lamaze method of childbirth is an excellent way to focus on your partner and decrease pain levels; however, this method of pain relief does not totally eliminate all pain associated with labor.

We believe that hydrotherapy is an excellent alternative to conventional childbirth methods. Hydrotherapy decreases pain levels while at the same time improving childbirth and contractions. However, this method, like the others, is not proven to totally decrease pain during labor.

The statements above are our findings on the effects that music therapy, massage therapy, acupressure and acupuncture, and hydrotherapy have on labor pains and childbirth. Upon reviewing the information we have provided, we hope that you and your family have become interested in the non-pharacological methods of pain relief that are offered today. Before deciding on a method of pain relief for your childbirth, we once again encourage you to talk to your health care provider. This decision is one that will give you the most effective childbirth. It is our hope that you and your family are blessed with a beautiful child and a pain-free, or at least a decreased pain, labor. Thank you for visiting our web site, we hope that you have gleaned some information that will help you in the future. Best wishes to you and your family in your childbirth experience.