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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21088/ijaa.2349.8471.5318.21

Abstract

The severity of labour pain was recognized by the Romans, who termed delivery the poenamagna—the “great pain” or “great punishment.” Pregnancy, though is one of the most pleasant part of a woman’s life is marred by the anxious awaiting of a painful labour. Although labour is painless in a few women, the vast majority considers it painful, and a clear majority rates it as severe pain. Melzack, one of the authors of the gate control theory of pain, developed a questionnaire to assess the intensity and emotional impact of pain. Using this tool, he observed that labour pain was rated as more painful than cancer pain and that, among nulliparous women with no prepared childbirth training; it was nearly as painful as amputation of a digit without anaesthesia.Traditionally a number of techniques have been employed to provide labour analgesia. But Epidural analgesia is considered to be the gold standard in labour analgesia.

 

 

Keywords : Poenamagna; Labour Pain; Epidural Analgesia. 

Corresponding Author : Sudhakaran R., Assistant Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, Karpagam Faculty of Medical Sciences & Research, Othakkalmandabam, Coimbatore – 641032, Tamil Nadu, India.