LAUSR

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Paeoniae Radix has been used for legs discomfort such as restless legs syndrome. The aim of this review is to evaluate efficacy and safety of Paeoniae Radix-containing herbal medicine on restless legs syndrome. METHODS Literature search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL, CiNii, KTKP, OASIS, and CNKI for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of Paeoniae Radix-containing herbal medicines on restless legs syndrome. RESULTS Twelve studies (n = 639) were included. The overall methodological quality was low. In the herbal group, meta-analysis indicated statistically significant improvements in the total effective rate, the restless legs syndrome rating scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index as compared with those in the non-herbal group. Herbal treatments were found to be relatively safe. CONCLUSION Paeoniae Radix-containing herbal medicines might promote improvements in restless legs syndrome. However, we are unable to draw concrete conclusions owing to limitations of the included studies.