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A feasibility study exploring the role of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of endometriosis . BACKGROUND Endometriosis is a common and disabling gynecologic condition affecting between 5 % and 15 % of women of childbearing age . Conventional medical intervention has unpleasant side-effects , and symptoms frequently return after treatment . Preliminary evidence suggests Chinese herbal medicine ( CHM ) may contribute to the treatment of endometriosis . OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to test the feasibility of a novel methodology for investigating individualized decoctions of CHM rigorously and to gather preliminary data on the treatment effect of CHM for a larger definitive trial . DESIGN This was a 16-week prospective , double blinded , randomized controlled trial of 40 women with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis . SETTINGS The trial was conducted at a private CHM clinic in Hove ( U.K. ) and at a National Health Service outpatient clinic in London ( U.K. ) . INTERVENTIONS Participants were initially randomized to either wait-list control ( WLC ) or treatment groups to receive either individualized CHM decoctions or a therapeutically inert placebo decoction . OUTCOME MEASURES Four 10-cm visual analogue scales ( VAS ) were used to measure menstrual pain , daily pain , and pain on intercourse and bowel movement ; these measurements were recorded weekly . The Endometriosis Health Profile-30 ( EHP-30 ) endometriosis-specific quality-of-life questionnaire was completed at the beginning and at the end of the trial . The Measure Yourself Medical Outcomes Profile ( MYMOP ) a patient-centered health questionnaire was completed monthly . Liver and renal function was measured at 0 , 4 , 8 , and 16 weeks . RESULTS Twenty-eight ( 28 ) women completed the trial . High dropout rates led to the suspension of the WLC . Randomization , double blinding , and allocation concealment was achieved successfully . Adjusted mean differences favored the active treatment in the EHP-30 and MYMOP scores . VAS scores favored the active treatment for relief of menstrual pain and the placebo group for reduction of daily pain . CONCLUSIONS the methodology successfully allowed individualized CHM decoctions to be tested rigorously . There are nonspecific contextual effects from CHM that require further investigation . Provisional data were generated to warrant a larger , more-definitive study .
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Intervention_Pharmacological
Chinese herbal medicine
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Intervention_Pharmacological
Chinese herbal medicine ( CHM )
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Intervention_Control
wait-list control ( WLC )
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Intervention_Pharmacological
individualized CHM decoctions
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Intervention_Control
therapeutically inert placebo decoction
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Outcome_Pain
measure menstrual pain , daily pain , and pain on intercourse and bowel movement ;
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Outcome_Other
Endometriosis Health Profile-30 ( EHP-30 ) endometriosis-specific quality-of-life questionnaire
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Outcome_Physical
Measure Yourself Medical Outcomes Profile ( MYMOP ) a patient-centered health questionnaire
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Outcome_Physical
Liver and renal function
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Outcome_Physical
EHP-30 and MYMOP scores
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Outcome_Physical
VAS scores