Homeopathy for premenstrual symptoms/disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
What is this project about?
Premenstrual symptoms (PMS) are a cluster of somatic and psychological symptoms that occur during the menstrual cycle and resolve during menses, followed by a symptom-free interval. These symptoms can significantly affect the daily lives of women. The umbrella term premenstrual disorders (PMD) encompasses premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), both of which involve symptoms causing significant impairment. Pooled global prevalence estimates place PMS at around 47.8% of menstruating women and PMDD at between 3.3% and 7.7%. Common symptoms span both psychological and physical domains, including irritability, anxiety, mood swings, difficulty concentrating, breast tenderness, bloating, fatigue, food cravings, and joint or muscle pain.
This project aims to determine the effectiveness of homeopathy (IH and non-IH) in the treatment of premenstrual disorders.
Research Group
- Dr Esther van der Werf, Homeopathy Research Institute, London, UK
- Dr Christien Klein-Laansma, Independent researcher, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Dr Harleen Kaur, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India, New Delhi, India
- Dr Alyson Huntley, Centre for Academic Primary Care, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK
- Dr Rachel Perry, The National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West) at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, UK
Why is this project important?
Almost half of all menstruating women experience PMS, making it essential to explore every promising treatment, including homeopathy. These symptoms seriously disrupt daily life for many women; therefore, finding effective relief matters. Standard treatments like antidepressants and hormonal drugs often come with unwanted side effects, which is why many women look for non-conventional treatment approaches.
Patients, clinicians and other stakeholders can only make informed choices about the use of medicines if they have good quality, robust information. This project serves to provide clarity for a common condition for which the evidence that homeopathy can be considered effective is promising.
