Use of the shower aspersion combined with the swiss ball as a method of pain relief in the active labor stage

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The pain is an inherent phenomenon in labor and may interfere directly with its physiology. The objective of this study was to correlate the effectiveness of the association of the shower aspersion and the swiss ball as a method of pain relief in active labor stage. CONTENTS: This is an integrative review. The sample was taken from the LILACS, Scielo, BDENF and Medline databases. Fourteen articles were used, published between 2010 and 2016, in the Portuguese and English language. The results indicate a significant reduction of the pain score when associated with both therapies, in addition to acting effectively in the labor progression. CONCLUSION: The present review allowed the perception that the association of shower aspersion and swiss ball therapies is more effective than its isolated use, enhancing pain relief when applied in the active phase of labor, improving its progression, reducing the duration and stimulating natural childbirth.