Manual and Electroacupuncture for Labour Pain: Study Design of a Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Trial

Table 1

Participating midwives’ previous education and experience with administrating acupuncture, prior to study training, 𝑛=38.

	𝑛
Education prior to study training
One day course with a midwife at the delivery ward	10
Practical focus with acupuncture points chosen on  TCM basis
Included neither acupuncture physiology nor EA
Five-day course with focus on TCM and WM	14
Practical and theoretical sessions.
Acupuncture physiology based on both TCM and  WM
EA not included.
Six-day course in WM	11
Practical and theoretical sessions
Acupuncture physiology and research within the  area of acupuncture and obstetrics
EA included
No previous education in acupuncture at all	3
Experience of administrating acupuncture during labour, prior to study
None	12
<1 year	5
1-2 years	10
3–10 years	8
>10 years	3

TCM : traditional Chinese medicine, EA : electroacupuncture, WM : western medical acupuncture.