Paeoniae Radix-containing herbal medicine for patients with restless legs syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and purpose: Paeoniae Radix has been used for legs discomfort such as restless legs syndrome. The aim of this review is to evaluate efficacy and safety of Paeoniae Radix-containing herbal medicine on restless legs syndrome. Methods: Literature search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL, CiNii, KTKP, OASIS, and CNKI for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of Paeoniae Radix-containing herbal medicines on restless legs syndrome. Results: Twelve studies (n=639) were included. The overall methodological quality was low. In the herbal group, meta-analysis indicated statistically significant improvements in the total effective rate, the restless legs syndrome rating scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index as compared with those in the non-herbal group. Herbal treatments were found to be relatively safe. Conclusion: Paeoniae Radix-containing herbal medicines might promote improvements in restless legs syndrome. However, we are unable to draw concrete conclusions owing to limitations of the included studies.