Efficacy comparison of different external traditional Chinese medicine therapies as monotherapy or in combination for premenstrual syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Key Points

• Traditional Chinese medicine therapies effectively reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, indicating strong treatment efficacy.
• Treatment with combination therapies led to a notable symptom reduction, with significant improvements over monotherapy observed in some cases.
• Systematic review and network meta-analysis of various therapy options demonstrated the diversity of effective interventions.
• These findings highlight the potential of integrating traditional Chinese medicine into broader management strategies for premenstrual syndrome.