Review of Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the effects and safety of herbal medicine in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome using a systematic review and meta-analysis.Methods: A literature search was conducted across four international and four domestic databases up to July 2024, with studies selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of the included studies was assessed using Cochrane’s risk of bias tool, and data synthesis was performed using RevMan 5.4.Results: Twelve studies, including 841 patients, were analyzed. Meta-analysis showed that herbal medicine contributed to meaningful improvements in Guillain-Barré syndrome outcomes. Hughes functional scores decreased by a mean difference (MD) of -0.25 (95% CI -0.49 to -0.01, p=0.04), cerebrospinal fluid protein levels dropped by MD -13.16 mg/dL (95% CI -15.38 to -10.95, p<0.0001), and Barthel Index scores increased by MD 4.70 points (95% CI 2.98 to 6.42, p<0.00001). Additional benefits were noted for sensory function, muscle strength, and peripheral nerve conduction velocities. However, a GRADE assessment indicated that evidence certainty remained low to very low due to methodological limitations, small sample sizes, and inherent bias across studies.Conclusions: Herbal medicine may offer benefits in improving functional and electrophysiological outcomes in Guillain– Barré syndrome, but current evidence remains limited. Future clinical trials should incorporate objective outcome measures and employ rigorous methodologies to validate their efficacy and safety.