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

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical practice of Korean medicine doctors (KMDs) for managing menopausal disorders. Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusion 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.