Relaxation is very important. A woman's husband or labor coach should instruct her to go limp like a rag doll and breath deeply, making her tummy rise and fall. This is called abdominal breathing. Observe the kind of breathing you do when you are nearly asleep and try to simulate it. Help her to relax her hands, face, legs etc. if you see that they are tense.
Relaxation helps a woman to handle the contractions easier and have a faster labor.
Sometimes a woman will breathe too fast and get tingling sensations in her hands and feet. She needs to be coached to slow down her breathing. You can have her follow your breathing until the tingling goes away. Firm hand pressure on the lower back by those attending the mother may help to relieve the back ache. Alternately, the mother may prefer to lean her back against a firm surface.