Herbal prescription for managing menopausal disorders: A practice survey in Korean medicine doctors.

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical practice of Korean medicine doctors (KMDs) for managing menopausal disorders. We conducted a web-based questionnaire for KMDs to respond to recommendations across the three main KM domains: major symptoms of menopausal disorders, herbal prescriptions, and pattern identification. We received responses from 227 doctors who have treated menopausal disorders. The major pattern identifications recommended by the doctors for the pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal phases, respectively, were depression of liver energy (59.5%), kidney yin deficiency (49.8%), and kidney yin deficiency (50.7%). The most frequent herbal remedies prescribed for the pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal phases were Jiawei shaoyao-san (58.1%), Jiawei shaoyao-san (48.5%), and Jiawei guipi-decoction (37.9%), respectively. The results of our clinical practice survey provide information on KMDs' clinical experiences of using herbal medicines and their use of pattern identification to manage menopausal disorders.

Lee HW ，Jun JH ，Choi J ，Choi TY ，Lee JA ，Ang L ，Go HY ，Lee MS ... -  《-》

Perceptions of using herbal medicines for managing menopausal symptoms: a web-based survey of Korean medicine doctors.

Most women experiencing menopause have sought out traditional treatment options to relieve their symptoms. The aim of this study, which used a web-based survey, was to investigate perceptions of Korean medicine doctors (KMDs) on managing menopausal symptoms with herbal medicines. We developed and then sent a questionnaire via email to a total 497 KMDs in obstetrics and gynecology affiliated with the Society of Korean Medicine. The questionnaire consisted of three categories and a total of 26 items focusing on major menopausal symptoms, prescriptions, pattern identification, and background characteristics. Out of the 497 KMDs, we received responses from 48 doctors, a response rate of 9.7%. The most common symptoms of menopausal disorder perceived by responded KMDs were hot flashes (22.9%), sleep disorders (18.2%), systemic fatigue (12.5%), and sweating (12.0%). The herbal medicines reported to be the most effective when treating patients with menopausal disorders were Jiawei shaoyao-san (12.5%), Jiawei guipi-decoction (11.8%). The responding KMDs recommended one to two months of treatment for female menopausal disorder, using two to three doses of herbal medicine per day in combination with traditional Korean medicine (KM) therapies such as acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and pharmacopuncture. The results of this survey may provide information about doctor's perceptions on using herbal medicines to manage patient's menopausal symptoms. Future studies should be done with a larger sample size to overcome the limitation of this study and to examine how KM is used for treating menopausal symptoms in clinical practice.

Jun JH ，Lee HW ，Choi J ，Choi TY ，Lee JA ，Go HY ，Lee MS ... -  《-》

A survey of Korean medicine doctors' clinical practice patterns for autism spectrum disorder: preliminary research for clinical practice guidelines.

Lee J ，Lee SH ，Lee B ，Yang IJ ，Chang GT ... -  《BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine》

Current clinical practice status of Korean medicine for managing female infertility: A cross-sectional survey.

This survey aimed to investigate clinicians' perceptions and current practice patterns of Korean medicine (KM) treatment for female infertility. A questionnaire on clinical practice patterns of KM treatment for female infertility was constructed and distributed to 703 KM doctors (KMDs). A total of 20.5% of physicians (n = 144/703) completed the survey and delivered integrative care for female infertility patients. Integrative care mainly consisted of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and moxibustion. The participants largely relied on radiological findings on ultrasonography and hormone tests for diagnosis. The most frequently prescribed herbal medication was Jogyeongjongok-tang (Tiaojing Zhongyu decoction), and the most frequently applied acupoints were SP6, CV4 and ST36. This study provides expert opinions and information on actual clinical practice patterns of KM for treating female infertility. However, we cannot completely discount the possibility that biased selection of subjects and the low response rate limit the interpretations of the study results.

Choi J ，Lee MS ，Ko MM ，Choi TY ，Jun JH ，Lee HW ，Ang L ，Jo J ，You S ... -  《-》

Prescription patterns of herbal medicine for menopausal disorders in major Korean medicine hospitals: a multicenter retrospective study.

This study aimed to obtain the symptom, prescription and therapeutic patterns for the treatment of patients with menopausal syndrome in major Korean medicine (KM) hospitals. We used a retrospective chart review of climacteric disorder and postmenopausal syndrome patients by examining medical records (ICD-10, menopausal and female climacteric states: N95.1, Menopausal and perimenopausal disorder, unspecified: N95.9) from eight university KM hospitals in South Korea. The main symptoms of 1,682 patients with menopausal disorders visiting eight college-affiliated oriental medicine hospitals were hot flush, hyperhidrosis, fatigue, insomnia, and chest tightness. Guipi decoction, Si-wu guipi decoction, Qing-xin lianzi-yin, Jiawei xiao-yao-san and Guipi wen-dan decoction were the most commonly prescribed treatments for menopausal disorders. Patients were most often treated with a combination of herbal medicine and acupuncture. Our study shows that the current prescribed herbal medicines were used for treating menopausal disorders in Korean medicine hospitals. However, the objectivity of the efficacy assessment should be studied further.

Lee HW ，Choi TY ，Lee MS ，Lee JA ，Jun JH ，Choi J ，Ang L ，Lee CH ，Lee JM ，Park KS ，Kim DC ，Jang SR ，Yoo JE ，Kim DI ，Cho SH ，Yang SJ ，Lee IS ，Ahn IS ，Lee DN ，Choi CM ，Song MH ，Kim E ... -  《-》