Benefits of Integrative and Complementary Health Practices on the quality of life and symptoms of climacteric women: a systematic review

Abstract

There are many therapeutic interventions for women in the climacteric phase. Integrative and Complementary Health Practices (PICS), although not widely used, are cost-effective and consistent with the concepts of self-care and integrative health, and it is important to evaluate their benefits. The aim was to describe and synthesize the scientific evidence available in the literature on the benefits of these practices for assisting women in the climacteric phase. A systematic review was carried out based on the search for clinical trials that answered the following research question: what are the benefits of PICS in improving the quality of life and symptoms of women in the climacteric? A search was carried out in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, EMBASE and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online databases. As a result, 24 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria and the PRISMA protocol. All clinical trials in the final sample investigated only 3 of the 29 PICS – acupuncture, yoga and phytotherapy – offered by the Unified Health System. The review suggests that yoga, acupuncture and phytotherapy, with different herbal extracts, have a place in the integrative care of climacteric women.