Theories of Pain & Pain Management Online Course(s) & Continuing Education
Access the latest clinical skills and research for Theories of Pain & Pain Management for PREGNANCY, LABOUR & CHILDBIRTH professional training. These Theories of Pain & Pain Management online courses provide practice-changing skills and valuable perspectives from leading global experts. This Theories of Pain & Pain Management education has been accredited for a variety of CEUs / CERPs and can be accessed on-demand, at your own pace.
Managing Back Pain in Labour Using Sterile Water Injections
Nigel is a Midwife with clinical, education, research and policy experience. The main focus of his research has been on optimising care during childbirth. His PhD research explored the use of sterile water injections for the relief of back pain in labour. His work in this area is ongoing and has contributed to the increased use of this novel, simple and effective analgesic technique in Australia and the United Kingdom. Nigel has also published in the area of normal labour progress, including a randomised trial of labour documentation and management incorporating practice recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and retrospective studies into strategies for preventing severe perineal injury. Nigel is currently a Midwifery researcher and lecturer for the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work at the University of Queensland and an Honorary Research Fellow with the Mater Research Institute.
Up to 30% of women experience severe back pain in labour. In qualitative studies women have described how labour back pain limited their mobility and altered their plans for analgesia use. Injections of small amounts of sterile water into the skin of the lower back are used to alleviate back pain for up to two hours. Whilst much research supports the effectiveness of the technique critics suggest a placebo effect or dismiss the procedure as ‘midwifery voodoo’. This presentation will examine the causes and physiology of back pain in labour, examine and critique the research into sterile water injections and describe the techniques, benefits and limitations for use in clinical practice.
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David Carter-Plake, LM, CPM began his career in Maternal and Child Health over 25 years ago working in hospital systems as a labor and delivery nurse. After completing disaster relief work in New Orleans and Haiti, David started searching for alternative ways to provide services to people in need of maternity care. Finally deciding on the traditional midwifery path instead of nurse midwifery, David attended Midwives College of Utah graduating with an Associate of Science in Midwifery degree in 2018 and will complete a Bachelor of Science of Midwifery in August 2019. David is planning on continuing his education at MCU in the graduate degree program with a focus on midwifery education. David lives in El Paso, Texas where he has a solo midwifery practice, Imagine Midwifery Services, providing birth center and home birth care to birthing people of El Paso, Southern New Mexico, Chihuahua, Mexico and beyond. David has 5 dogs and one 20-year-old cat. He enjoys reading, travel, movies, and watching the performing arts in his leisure time.
This offering will introduce learners to the use of sterile water injections as an alternative pain relief method for lower back pain during labor. A review of lower back anatomy and causes of lower back pain during labor will provide a solid knowledge base before learning the principles of intradermal analgesia, including how to place intradermal sterile water injections for lower back pain management in labor. Participants must be willing to actively participate in hands-on practice on one another of intradermal injections in both the arm and lower back.
