Effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal footbaths as an adjuvant therapy for dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal footbaths (CHF) as an adjunctive therapy in managing dysmenorrhea.

Methods

Ten electronic databases were searched to identify eligible randomized clinical trials (RCTs) from inception until June 2023. Outcome measurements encompassed the total effective rate, visual analog scale (VAS) score of pain intensity, Cox menstrual symptom scale (CMSS) score, symptom score, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome scale, and any reported adverse events. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed with the Cochrane collaboration tool. Review Manager 5.3 software was employed for quantitative synthesis, and funnel plots were utilized to evaluate potential reporting bias.

Results

Eighteen

SUBMITTER: Tian X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11331266 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature