Effect of neuro-linguistic programming applied prior to uterine curettage for fetal demise on pain score, fear of pain and pain catastrophizing: Randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of neuro-linguistic programming applied prior to uterine curettage for fetal demise on pain score, fear of pain, and pain catastrophizing. Design: This is a single-blind, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Women with a gestational age of 12 weeks and/or less who underwent uterine curettage for the first time due to fetal death were included in the sample. The study was conducted in S,anl & imath;urfa, Turkey. Data were collected between July 2, 2024, and March 28, 2025, with a sample of 100 women randomly assigned to either the NLP (n = 50) or control (n = 50) groups. Before curettage, experimental group received only one 30-minute NLP practice session. Control group did not receive the NLP intervention but had one usual conversation with women for 30 min. Data were collected at three different time points: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and post-curettage. The primary outcomes of the study were the mean scores of the Visual Analog Scale, Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Results: Compared to the control group, pain score measured over time decreased by 77.4 %, fear of severe pain by 88.2 %, fear of mild pain by 78.3 %, fear of medical pain by 82.2 %, total fear of pain score by 85.4 %, helplessness towards pain by 80.7 %, magnification by 77.4 %, rumination by 78.5 %, total pain catastrophizing score by 81.9 % more in the NLP group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The practice of NLP can be safely used as a care intervention to reduce pain, fear of pain, and negative thoughts about pain. Trial and protocol registration: ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT06493305. Name of the registry: The Effect of NLP on Pain Before Uterine Curettage Due to the Fetal Demise. Registration number: NCT06493305. This research was registered in the NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine Clinical Trial Registry on July 1, 2024. The first woman participant was recruited on July 2, 2024. NCT registration URL link: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06493305.