According to the latest study conducted by the researchers of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, China, electroacupuncture decreases the labor pain and associated complications in combined spinal-epidural analgesia (CSEA) with patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) process.

One hundred twenty-seven participants were selected in this research, and randomized into two groups as per the anesthetic technique. Patients enrolled in group one received CSEA with PCEA, and then EA for 25 min using HANS-200A device and group two received CSEA with PCEA only. VAS for labor pain was considered as the primary endpoint and use of oxytocin, delivery mode, duration of three stages, the complications, cord blood pH and neonatal Apgar score were taken as secondary endpoints.

Group one showed lower VAS scores at the five point-in-times than group two following the labor analgesia. Also, the group one showed lower rates of fever and urinary retention, less usage of oxytocin and shorter duration of the third stage, and cervical dilation from 3 to 10 cm than group two.

The study findings showed that the combination of CSEA, PCEA and EA can be effective for labor analgesia to a certain extent. However, it is considered in clinical application due to its advantages such as simple, easy to operate and low cost without any adverse effects.