Acupressure for inducing labour for nulliparous women with post-dates pregnancy.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of acupressure for induction of labour for nulliparous women with a post-dates pregnancy.

Design: A single-blind randomised trial.

Setting: Antenatal and labour ward of a UK district general hospital.

Ginger to reduce nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: evidence of effectiveness is not the same as proof of safety.

Ginger is a common traditional remedy taken by numerous women experiencing nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP). There is considerable evidence to support its effectiveness as an anti-emetic, but also increasing concern over its safety. Ginger is a powerful herbal medicine which acts pharmacologically and thus has specific indications, contraindications, precautions and side-effects, the most notable of which is an anticoagulant action.

Take me to a clinical reflexologist: an exploratory survey.

Background: This paper reports the results of a questionnaire exploring the role, training and experience of a 'clinical reflexologist'. The sample (n=105) was delegates at a clinical reflexology conference held at a major cancer treatment centre in the North West of England.

Results: The majority of participants had completed diploma level training (n=73) and were female (n=99).

Structural reflex zone therapy in pregnancy and childbirth: a new approach.

This paper is adapted from Denise Tiran's forthcoming new book on pregnancy reflexology, and introduces an innovative new approach which has been termed "structural reflex zone therapy". From a reflexology perspective structural reflex zone therapy (RZT) draws on the Hanne Marquardt system, but is based also on the principles of osteopathy, in which the musculoskeletal system is seen as the main supporting framework of the body and the feet are used purely as a medium through which misalignments can be treated. Structural reflex zone therapy is based on the author's clinical work and research over a 25-year period, and although specifically applied here to maternity care, could easily be adapted for other clinical specialities.

Reprint of: aromatherapy and massage for antenatal anxiety: its effect on the fetus.

Antenatal anxiety has been linked to maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis changes which can affect fetal development and may have lasting effects on the child's psychological development. Treatments for anxiety have hitherto focused on psychotherapy techniques or antidepressant drugs but these do not always effect long-term improvement. Aromatherapy and massage have successfully been used to produce significantly greater improvement in reduction of anxiety.

Increasing research evidence in practice: a possible role for the consultant nurse.

Aims: To determine the extent to which clinical nursing practice has adopted research evidence. To identify barriers to the application of research findings in practice and to propose ways of overcoming these barriers.

Background: Way back in 1976, nursing and midwifery practice started adopting research evidence.

Integrated healthcare: herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms.

Women approaching the menopause frequently resort to complementary therapies and natural remedies, especially herbal medicines. Nurses working with mature women, both in the community and in hospital, may find themselves drawn into a debate about these remedies, yet may feel unable to answer women's questions, or be unsure where to find information. However, with the increased use of complementary therapies generally, it is imperative that nurses recognize the parameters of their personal practice and appreciate the possible problems which may arise from ill-informed use of natural remedies, such as herb-drug interactions.

Complementary therapies in pregnancy: midwives' and obstetricians' appreciation of risk.

Complementary medicine is increasingly being integrated into maternity care, primarily by midwives in response to mothers' demands. Midwives and obstetricians must, however, develop a comprehensive evidence-based knowledge of risks, as well as benefits, to ensure that any complementary therapies in pregnancy and childbirth are not only effective but also safe. This paper discusses the results of an evaluative audit of midwives' and obstetricians' knowledge of and attitudes to complementary therapies in pregnancy in an NHS antenatal clinic which revealed a generalised lack of knowledge and poor understanding of the possible risks to women.

Aromatherapy and massage for antenatal anxiety: its effect on the fetus.

Antenatal anxiety has been linked to maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis changes which can affect fetal development and may have lasting effects on the child's psychological development. Treatments for anxiety have hitherto focused on psychotherapy techniques or antidepressant drugs but these do not always effect long term improvement. Aromatherapy and massage have successfully been used to produce significantly greater improvement in reduction of anxiety.

The physiological basis of reflexology and its use as a potential diagnostic tool.

Ill-health changes the anatomy and physiology of affected organs, some of which can be observed visually, elicited through physical examination or confirmed through biomedical analysis. Understanding how anatomical changes contribute to physiological signs and symptoms will help practitioners identify the pathology, appreciate its origin and development and justify prescribed interventions in a way which can be upheld by critical external scrutiny. Reflexology contributes to an holistic approach to care and has recently improved its credibility as a discipline which supports orthodox care.