Medicinal plants for primary dysmenorrhoea: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Gynaecology
• Pharmacology
• Evidence-based medicine

Background:

• Primary dysmenorrhoea is a prevalent condition affecting women of reproductive age.
• The use of medicinal plants for gynaecological issues is increasing, yet evidence for their effectiveness and safety is limited.
• A systematic review is crucial to consolidate recent findings on herbal treatments for dysmenorrhoea.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize the most recent evidence on the efficacy of medicinal plants for treating primary dysmenorrhoea.
• To evaluate the quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating herbal remedies for menstrual pain.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive database search was performed for RCTs published between 2008 and 2016.
• Studies focused on single-herb treatments for primary dysmenorrhoea, assessing pain and associated symptoms.
• Study quality was evaluated independently by two reviewers using the JADAD scale and Cochrane risk of bias tool.

Main Results:

• Twenty-two RCTs were included, comprising 9 placebo-controlled and 13 comparative studies.
• Most investigated medicinal plants demonstrated efficacy in alleviating menstrual pain in at least one RCT.
• The overall low or unclear quality of the majority of studies necessitates cautious interpretation of results.

Conclusions:

• The review contributes to the understanding of medicinal plant use for primary dysmenorrhoea.
• Current evidence suggests potential efficacy, but the low quality of studies limits definitive conclusions.
• Further high-quality research is required to establish the safety and effectiveness of these herbal treatments.