<b>Effectiveness of the Japanese Herbal Shakuyakukanzoto for </b><b>Pain Relief in an Outpatient Emergency Setting</b> / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

<b>Purpose </b> Shakuyakukanzoto (SKT ; peony and licorice decoction) is a Japanese herbal medicine that is useful in the treatment of acute pain.<br>We investigated the effects of SKT on pain in patients who visited to an outpatient emergency department for painful conditions such as acute gastroenteritis.<br><b>Methods </b> Thirty patients were enrolled. All participants received 2.5 grams of SKT powder. Pain intensity was measured at baseline and 30 minutes after SKT administration using a visual analog scale (VAS). Patients were asked to rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 100 (0, no pain ; 100, excruciating pain).<br><b>Results </b> The overall mean VAS score was 71.03 ± 19.42 at baseline and significantly improved to 34.86 ± 34.89 at 30 minutes after SKT administration (P < 0.01).<br><b>Conclusions </b> SKT was highly effective in managing pain-related emergencies in an outpatient setting. Patients with acute gastroenteritis and tension headache experienced the greatest pain relief.