Viburnum opulus
Part Used: Dried bark (spring harvested)
Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus) is a shrub or small tree with nearly erect branches, found in hedgerows and woods over Europe and Russia and naturalised in North America. The large, broad, three to five-pointed leaves are on slender leafstalks, the small white flowers borne in dense cymes giving way to black or red globular drupes. Its active constituents include resin, a bitter (viburnin), valerianic acid, salicosides, tannin, and saponins. Cramp Bark has spasmolytic, sedative, astringent, smooth and skeletal muscle relaxant, cardiac tonic, uterine relaxant, and anti-inflammatory properties which is usually used for cramp, ovarian and uterine pains, spasmodic muscular cramp, uterine dysfunction, menopausal metrorrhagia, threatened miscarriage, partus preparator, infantile enuresis, etc.
Cramp Bark is one of the best female regulators in the herb world. It is a uterine sedative, aiding in menstrual cramps, afterbirth, and postpartum pains. It helps to prevent miscarriage, as well as internal hemorrhaging. It is often used to treat muscle cramping and spasms, as well as heart palpitations. It has also a reputation as a relaxer of muscular tension and spasm. It has two main areas of use. Firstly in muscular cramps and secondly in ovarian and uterine muscle problems. Cramp Bark will relax the uterus and so relieve painful cramps associated with periods (dysmenorrhoea). In a similar way it may be used to protect from threatened miscarriage. Its astringent action gives it a role in the treatment of excessive blood loss in periods and especially bleeding associated with the menopause. As its name indicates, Cramp Bark is most used to relieve cramps, including menstrual cramps, muscle cramps, and stomach cramps. Although Cramp Bark contains small amounts of several different types of compounds, a chemical known as viopudial is believed to provide Cramp Bark with its cramp-relieving effects. Viopudial is thought to relax muscles by partially blocking an enzyme involved with causing muscle spasms. Applied externally, it relieves skeletal muscle tension or cramps. It may also be helpful in some cases of migraine. Although little clinical evidence for its effectiveness exists, Cramp Bark may be taken by mouth to relieve menstrual, muscle, or stomach cramping.
References:
http://www.allnatural.net/herbpages/cramp-bark.shtml
http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/PrintablePages/herbMonograph/0,11475,552733,00.html
http://www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/guelderrose.htm
