The treatment of eczema with Chinese herbs: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials

Aims Chinese herbal treatments are being promoted as a treatment for eczema. The aim of this study was to systematically review the evidence for or against this notion. Methods Extensive literature searches were carried out to identify all randomised clinical trials on the subject. Data were extract...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of clinical pharmacology 1999-08, Vol.48 (2), p.262-264
Main Authors: ARMSTRONG, N. C, ERNST, E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
alternative medicine
Biological and medical sciences
Child
complementary medicine
Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use
eczema
Eczema - drug therapy
Humans
Medical sciences
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Short Reports
Skin, nail, hair, dermoskeleton
systematic review
traditional Chinese medicine
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Aims Chinese herbal treatments are being promoted as a treatment for eczema. The aim of this study was to systematically review the evidence for or against this notion. Methods Extensive literature searches were carried out to identify all randomised clinical trials on the subject. Data were extracted from these in a predefined standardized fashion. Results Only two randomized clinical trials were located. Both imply that a complex mixture of Chinese herbs is more effective than placebo in treating eczema. Yet several caveats exist, most importantly the lack of independent replication. Adverse effects have also been reported. Conclusions At present it is unclear whether Chinese herbal treatments of eczema do more good than harm.
ISSN:0306-5251
1365-2125
DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2125.1999.00004.x