the impact of kinesio taping on active phase labor pain and childbirth experience in pregnant women

Background & aim: childbirth is a pivotal event in a woman’s life, involving both physiological and psychological aspects. managing labor pain and enhancing the childbirth experience are critical components of maternal care. the present study aimed to determine the impact of kinesio taping on labor pain intensity and childbirth experience in pregnant women. methods: a clinical trial was conducted in 2021 at imam khomeini hospital (ra) in mahabad, west iran. a total of 75 pregnant women  were randomly assigned to three groups (25 subjects in each group) of intervention 1 (applying kinesio tape to the skin areas located in t12 to l2 and s2 to s4 vertebrae), intervention 2 (applying kinesiotape to the skin area of the t1 to t4 vertebrae) and the control group (without intervention). pain intensity was measured using the visual analog scale, and the overall childbirth experience was assessed by childbirth experience questionnaire (ceq) . data were analyzed by spss software (version 20).  results: comparison of the mean score of labor pain intensity in the active phase of labor in the three groups showed a significant decrease in pain intensity over time in intervention group 1, compared with the control group (p<0.001). comparison of childbirth experience scores and its dimensions after intervention in the three groups indicated a significantly greater improvement in intervention group 1 compared to the other two groups (p<0.05). conclusion: results showed kinesio tape that attached to spinal segments, can be used as a non-pharmacological childbirth pain reduction method and it can be used to create a positive childbirth experience.