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Family Practice Advance Access published online on August 14, 2007
Family Practice, doi:10.1093/fampra/cmm048
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

Treatment of menopausal symptoms by qualified herbal practitioners: a prospective, randomized controlled trial

Julia Greena, Alison Denhamb, Jennifer Ingramc, Sue Hawkeyd and Rosemary Greenwoodc

a Faculty of Service and Leisure, City of Bristol College, Bristol
b Department of Nursing, University of Central Lancashire, Preston
c Bristol Research and Development Support Unit, United Bristol Healthcare Trust, Bristol
d School of Health and Bioscience, University of East London, London, UK. Correspondence to Julia Green, City of Bristol College, 286 Ashley Down Road, Bristol BS7 9BQ, UK

Email: julia.green{at}ukonline.co.uk

Received 10 July 2006; Revised 3 July 2007; Accepted 12 July 2007.


  Abstract

Objectives. To assess the effectiveness of professional herbal practice in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. To generate pilot data for future sample size calculations.

Methods. A pilot prospective, randomized, waiting list controlled trial was conducted in primary care at one urban UK GP practice. Participants were 45 women aged 46–59, experiencing self-defined menopausal symptoms and no menstrual bleeding for 3 months. Exclusion criteria included use of hormone replacement therapy. Participants were block randomized into a treatment group (n = 15) who received a course of individualized treatment from one of three herbal practitioners, and control group (n = 30) offered treatment after waiting 4 months. Treatment was six consultations over 5 months including discussion of nutrition, lifestyle and individualized herbal prescription. Change in menopausal symptoms was measured in both groups using the validated Greene Climacteric Scale. Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile recorded changes in self-defined most troublesome symptoms.

Results. Forty-four participants completed the study. The treatment group demonstrated a statistically and clinically significant reduction in menopausal symptoms compared to the control group. Total scores for menopausal symptoms reduced for both groups. Reduction for the treated group was 9.05 points greater than that for the control group, CI 5.08–13.03, as were changes in vasomotor scores (mean 1.81, CI 1.00–2.62). Libido increased (mean 0.69, CI 0.38–0.99) in the group receiving herbal treatment.

Conclusion. The treatment package from herbal practitioners improved menopausal symptoms, particularly hot flushes and low libido. This offers evidence to support herbal medicine as a treatment choice during the menopause.

Keywords. Complementary therapies, herbal medicine, hot flushes, libido, menopause.

Green J, Denham A, Ingram J, Hawkey S and Greenwood R. Treatment of menopausal symptoms by qualified herbal practitioners: a prospective randomized controlled trial. Family Practice 2007; Pages 1–7 of 7.


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which herbs were used?
Silke Brockmann
Family Practice, 5 Oct 2007 [Full text]

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