Colloca

LY294002 order and Benedetti (2009) report that the expectations associated with some procedures can influence markedly the response to these interventions, in both positive and negative terms. Placebo responses are not limited to placebo interventions and treatments of proven efficacy may also generate such responses, increasing the therapeutic benefit of treatment (Colloca and Miller 2011, Lui et al 2010). Massage, in addition to producing therapeutic effects physiologically, may also generate placebo responses, which can occur by means of observational learning in a social context, with no deliberate reinforcement. Although physiological and placebo effects can be difficult to distinguish, our study was able to highlight the overall therapeutic effect of massage on labour pain while controlling for the effects of attention because of the continuous support received by both groups. In the present study, there were limitations inherent to the investigation itself and to the environment in which it was conducted, despite efforts to minimise the influence of these effects on the participants. For example, the influence

of the pain of other women in labour or under the effect of childbirth selleck chemicals llc analgesia in the same environment as the participants, and the fact that participants were informed about the study may have elicited expectations about pain relief after application of the intervention. first The simple act of touching or giving words of support may also generate placebo responses, as discussed above. There are also socially recognised factors that may generate negative placebo responses, such as childbirth analgesia offered by the maternity staff, causing the parturients to tolerate less pain; negative experiences of relatives and/or friends; parturients and accompanying persons with no physical or emotional preparation, which may limit the amount of support the accompanying person can give; and even the Brazilian culture, which associates pain with suffering and wishes to eliminate it. On the basis

of the results of the present study, we trust that massage will be encouraged by the health professionals who assist women in labour, because this intervention is easily applied and it contributes to the management of pain, facilitating reduced reliance on analgesic medications. Additionally, massage can be offered by the accompanying person after training during the prenatal courses, underscoring the need for humanised and interdisciplinary care, with effective support for women during this phase. eAddenda: Table 3 available jop.physiotherapy.asn.au Ethics: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto/SP under the protocol HCRP 4296/2009. Each participant provided written informed consent to participate in the study according to resolution n° 196/96 of the National Health Council.