Viburnum opulus
Made from cramp bark — the American viburnum whose antispasmodic chemistry genuinely relaxes spasm, and the classical remedy of the cramping uterus.
The whole picture, in one breath
Think of a uterus clenched in cramp: spasmodic, agonising menstrual cramps that double the sufferer, miscarriage threatened by spasm, cramp in the thighs and back with the cycle, and — relief from steady pressure and from the flow beginning. The cramping, threatened uterus: that is Viburnum opulus.
The substance, in plain words
Cramp bark is the American cranberry-bush viburnum whose bark genuinely relaxes smooth-muscle spasm — its coumarin and viburnin chemistry earned it the name and a real place in herbal and midwifery practice. The proving gave the classical cramp portrait that made it the dysmenorrhoea remedy of the books.
The traditional picture Classical sources
The inner state
- Anxiety with the cramps. Fearful, restless with the spasms; dread of the next cycle.
- Irritability. Cross before the flow, weeping with the pain.
- Despondency. Gloomy foreboding of the monthly agony.
The body
- Spasmodic dysmenorrhoea. The keynote: agonising, cramping, bearing pains of the menses, doubling the sufferer over.
- Threatened miscarriage by spasm. The books use it where cramp threatens the pregnancy — the spasm, not the bleeding, is the danger.
- Cramp extending to thighs and back. The spasm radiates down the thighs, up the back — the books' path.
- Better for steady pressure. Firm pressure and the flow's onset relieve — the quoted ameliorations.
- False labour pains. Pains that come and go without doing their work.
- Worse in a warm room The spasm eases with the flow's establishment and firm support.
Modalities (worse and better factors)
| Worse from ⬇ | Better from ⬇ |
|---|---|
| the cramping hours of the cycle; motion; false labour; emotion. | firm steady pressure; the flow established; warmth; rest. |
Where it acts (organ affinities)
Uterus and its spasms, ovaries, pelvic and thigh muscles, general smooth muscle.
Where the classical picture comes from
The midwives' cramp bark — chemically antispasmodic, practically effective — gave the proving its frame; the remedy became the classical answer to spasmodic dysmenorrhoea and threatened miscarriage by spasm.
The substance in real medicine Pharmacology
What this section is: the pharmacology and toxicology of the source substance. It is not clinical evidence that a homeopathic preparation of it treats any condition. What controlled trials do and do not show is set out on the Evidence page.
Cramp bark's antispasmodic reputation has genuine chemical support: its coumarin compounds relax smooth muscle in laboratory models, and it remains a respected women's herb in midwifery traditions. Modern dysmenorrhoea is managed with NSAIDs and hormonal contraception — both effective — but the bark's chemistry is real, not folklore.
Look-alikes (how the classical authors told it apart)
| Remedy | Looks similar because… | Tells it apart because… |
|---|---|---|
| Magnesia phosphorica | Cramping pains | Mag-phos is better for heat and pressure, radiating to the right; Viburnum is uterine spasm better for the flow. |
| Sabina officinalis | Threatened miscarriage | Sabina bleeds bright with clots and hates music; Viburnum cramps without the bleeding. |
| Caulophyllum thalictroides | Irregular labour | Caulophyllum's pains are uncoordinated; Viburnum's are spasmodic-cramping. |
| Chamomilla | Cramping with rage | Chamomilla is the furious, teething cramp; Viburnum the pure uterine spasm. |