Where’s the Evidence? A Top Ten List of Cochrane Reviews
Presented by the Canadian Cochrane Centre and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

5. Drugs relieve labour pain, but little evidence on non-drug approaches

Women have various drug and non-drug options available to them to manage the pain of childbirth. An overview of research reviews published in The Cochrane Library found better evidence for the effectiveness of drug-based approaches for relieving labour pains than non-drug approaches, including water immersion, massage, and relaxation.