Herbal medicine for irritable bowel syndrome: An overview of systematic reviews protocol

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder characterized by the recurrence of abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. Owing to the limitations of conventional treatments, patients with IBS are often dissatisfied with the effect of treatment and have a poor quality of life. Herbal medicines (HMs) are frequently used for the treatment of IBS. This protocol was designed through an overview of systematic reviews (SRs), to investigate the safety and efficacy of HMs for treating IBS. METHODS: SRs published up to May 2021 will be searched from the following 6 electronic databases: Medline (via PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database. SRs and/or meta-analyses on the use of HMs for IBS will be included in this overview. The effects of a placebo, no treatment, usual care, or conventional treatment will be compared with those of HMs. Two investigators will independently extract the data and assess the methodological and evidence quality for each main finding. The total clinical effectiveness rate will be measured as the primary outcome. RESULTS: This overview is expected to provide data on the use of HMs for the treatment of IBS based on qualitative and quantitative syntheses of the included SR data. CONCLUSION: This overview will evaluate and propose the efficacy and safety of HMs for the treatment of IBS. REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/NT6WZ (https://osf.io/nt6wz).