Effects of herb-partitioned moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a cyclic cramp in pelvic which affects the quality of life. Herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM), a critical component of moxibustion therapy in traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to treat PD. However, there is still a lack of high-quality evidence to support the effectiveness and safety of HPM on patients with PD. The object of this work is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HPM in the management of PD. METHODS: The Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials, China national knowledge infrastructure database, Wan fang database, Chongqing VIP information, and SinoMed will be searched from their inception to Jun 2020. All randomized controlled trials of HPM for the treatment of PD will be included. We will operate article retrieval, duplication removing, screening, quality evaluation, and data analyses by RevMan 5.3 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, England). RESULTS: This study will provide a high-quality comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of HPM for the treatment of PD. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of our systematic review will give more convincing evidence to assist clinicians during the decision-making process when dealing with PD. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: 10.17605/OSF.IO/UFKNP