a recent review of medical research done on the effects of a specific chinese medical herb formula, the two immortals decoction, or er xian tang (EXD), concluded that  "the curing effect of EXD with all symptoms relieved was significant as compared with the control groups (p<0.01)."  again, here is an example of modern, scientific research validating traditional, non-scientific medicine.   traditional chinese herbal medicine, however, is not a "one-size fits all" kind of approach.  while this chinese herbal formula may be the perfect fit for some women, other women will experience greater benefit from a formula that best addresses their particulr pattern of imbalance.  only those practitioners with intensive training in the diagnostics of traditional chinese medicine will be able to correctly identify those patterns, and to find the herbal formula that is best suited to the individual.  for this reason it is important to consult your registered dr. of traditional chinese medicine, or registered traditional chinese medicine herbalist, if you are interested in using traditional chinese medical herbs to ease your symptoms into the transition of menopause.  Am J Chin Med. 2008;36(2):233-44. LinksTreatment of menopausal symptoms with Er-xian decoction: a systematic review.Chen HY, Cho WC, Sze SC, Tong Y.School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.The purpose of this systemic review is to assess the efficacy of Er-xian decoction (EXD), a formula of Chinese medicine, in relieving menopausal symptoms. Seven databases were extensively retrieved. The Chinese electronic databases include VIP Information, CBMdisc, and CNKI. The English electronic databases include AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and MEDLINE. Randomized controlled trials using EXD as a main intervention were included in the study selection. The quality of studies was assessed by Jadad scale and the criteria referred in Cochrane reviewers' handbook. Two independent reviewers were responsible for data extraction and assessment. Discrepancies were rectified referring to the original articles. The efficacy of EXD treatment for menopausal symptoms was evaluated by meta-analysis. There were 154 articles retrieved according to the search strategy, 677 participants involved in the 5 studies that satisfied the selection criteria. Meta-analysis indicated that administration of EXD significantly relieved at least one menopausal symptom when compared to the control group at a 95% confidence interval (p<0.01). The curing effect of EXD with all symptoms relieved was significant as compared with the control groups (p<0.01). The results also indicated that the efficacy of EXD was better than the other non-menopausal hormone therapy (p<0.01), while there was no significant difference between the EXD and menopausal hormone therapy groups. The EXD is effective in treating menopausal symptoms. However, owing to the low quality of the investigated studies, more randomized controlled trials are needed before evidence-based recommendation regarding the effectiveness of EXD in the management of menopausal symptoms can be provided.PMID: 18457358 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]