Meadowsweet Herb: Queen of the Meadow

Meadowsweet

Other common names: Queen of the meadow, brideswort
Scientific name: Filipendula ulmaria (formerly known as Spiraea ulmaria)
Family: Rosaceae
Parts used: flowers, flower buds, leaves
Energetics: cool, aromatic, bitter, dry
Plant Properties: astringent, diuretic, aromatic, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic
Plant Uses: diarrhea, ulcers, headaches, pain, rheumatism, stomach aches, fevers, indigestion, gout, cervical dysplasia
Plant Preparations: tea, tincture, bath, glycerite, oil infusion, strewing herb

What’s in a name?If you’ve ever seen Meadowsweet growing wild in a meadow, you’ll know why it has been called the Queen of the Meadow. This ubiquitous plant with brilliantly white flowers dominates the meadows it calls home. Its contemporary common name, meadowsweet, may not just refer to the plant’s favorite living space, but also to its common use as a flavoring agent in meads and ales.

It was also once commonly called brideswort, possibly because it was used as a strewing herb and as a bridal garland at weddings. It has a deep heady scent that is loved by many. (Also, strong smelling plants are useful in a crowded room of people, especially before modern day hygiene practices.)

Summing up meadowsweet quickly, you could say that it is a cooling, aromatic and astringent herb that relieves pain. In this monograph we’ll take a closer look at how herbalists use meadowsweet to better understand this beautiful rose-family plant.

Meadowsweet was one of the three most sacred herbs used by ancient Celtic Druid priests. It is mentioned in the Knight’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer (fourteenth century C.E.), and described in old European herbals, including those of John Gerard (The Herball, 1597) and Nicholas Culpepper (The English Physitian, 1652).

Commission E Monograph

Meadowsweet contributes to the beginning of big pharma
Meadowsweet is an aromatic plant high in essential oils. This gives it a strong and pleasant scent. It is also astringent and contains a significant amount of tannins.

The most notable chemical constituent found in meadowsweet is salicylic acid, which is known to decrease pain.

Salicylic acid was identified and isolated from meadowsweet leaves in 1827. It was known to be analgesic or pain relieving but the chemical extract was too nauseating to be useful.

In 1897, Felix Hoffman figured out how to chemically alter salicin taken from the meadowsweet plant to render it less troublesome for the stomach. Hoffman’s new chemical, termed acetylsalicylic acid, was renamed aspirin and was officially patented and sold by Bayer in 1900. Aspirin became widely used medicine fairly quickly and was the beginning of the class of drugs known today as NSAIDs.

Aspirin is still one of the most widely used drugs on the market with 40,000 tonnes of it being consumed each year around the world! Most people tend to think of over-the-counter medicines as being safe. However, According to the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), each year the side effects of NSAIDs hospitalize over 100,000 people and kill 16,500 people in the U.S. alone. The most common side effects of aspirin include bleeding ulcers and tinnitus.

Ironically, or perhaps, notably, meadowsweet is commonly used by herbalists to heal the problems that aspirin creates. By isolating certain constituents within meadowsweet, and turning it into aspirin, we’ve left out natural buffering agents found in the whole plant.

Ulcers
Meadowsweet is a perfect match for healing ulcers. It is astringent and helpis to tighten and tone the lining of the stomach. It is aromatic and helps to support optimal digestion. It also helps to relieve pain (often the worst symptom of ulcers) and it has anti-microbial activity that can address any secondary infection.

Generally meadowsweet is used for ulcers as part of a larger healing regimen rather than as a simple.

Combine with plantain leaf, marsh mallow root and chamomile for chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. 

Thomas Garran

Diarrhea
Many rose family plants are used for diarrhea and meadowsweet is no exception. This astringent plant also tastes pleasant, making it a good choice for children. It can soothe upset tummies, relieve pain and help to stop excessive diarrhea.

Pain
Meadowsweet is high in salicylic acid, which is well know for its ability to relieve pain.  I find the plant to be a mild to moderate pain reliever that is especially suited to stagnant pain (in a fixed location, possibly with a pounding sensation) and for those with symptoms of heat.

The Iroquois used the mashed and powdered dried root as part of a compound decoction with yarrow for side pain, and nausea.

Robert Dale Rogers

Headaches
Meadowsweet is especially suited to headaches in which the person has a hot head and feels a pounding sensation in the head. Meadowsweet is cooling and it promotes circulation, which can relieve stagnant energy in the head.

Rheumatism
Besides having the ability to relieve pain, meadowsweet is also anti-inflammatory in nature. Taken daily as a tea or tincture it can help relieve chronic arthritic pain and inflammation.

Stomach aches and acid refluxMy two favorite herbs for stomach aches and nausea are ginger and meadowsweet (okay, twist my arm, peppermint too).

Meadowsweet shines as an herb for stomach aches, nausea and poor digestion and is especially helpful for those who find herbs like ginger to be too warming. Meadowsweet removes stagnation (like when you eat a meal and it stays in your stomach too long) and relieves discomfort in the stomach.

Meadowsweet is one of the best digestive remedies available and as such will be indicated in most conditions, if they are approached holistically. It acts to protect and soothe the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, reducing excess acidity and easing nausea. 

David Hoffman

If someone asks you what to do for reflux but isn’t going to come in and do a consult or listen to a lengthy exposition on the nuance of gastric tissues and processes I say, “You could try meadowsweet and see if that helps”.

jim mcdonald

Fevers
Meadowsweet, when taken as a hot tea, is a relaxing diaphoretic herb. It promotes circulation and opens the pores to let the heat out of the body. It is especially indicated when the person has a higher fever or feels hot but isn’t sweating.

I like meadowsweet for respiratory ailments primarily because it can bring on a sweat, and that can lower a too-high fever. Yarrow is another effective sweat- inducer. A combination of these two works very well.

Henriette Kress, Practical Herbs

Gout
When taken as a cool to lukewarm tea, meadowsweet is an effective diuretic. I have not seen it used much in UTI formulas, but hypothetically it seems like it would be effective. There are several references to meadowsweet being helpful for gout (in addition to lifestyle changes). This also makes sense as this diuretic is mildly pain relieving and anti-inflammatory.

Cervical dysplasiaMeadowsweet is famous for relieving pain, healing ulcers and addressing diarrhea, but it has also shown to have powerful antimicrobial benefits as well.

In this study 25 out of 48 women with cervical dysplasia had a complete remission after using meadowsweet ointment! (Cervical dysplasia is the presence of abnormal cell growth on the cervix. This is strongly associated with the HPV virus and has the potential to develop into cancer.)

Botanically Speaking

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Meadowsweet loves to grow in damp meadows and banks. It is native to Europe and Asia, but has been naturalized in eastern north America.

Photo credit

It grows from 3 to 7 feet tall.

It blooms from June to September and boasts creamy white flowers. The flowers are strongly aromatic and sweet smelling.

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The individual flowers are quite small but have five petals and many stamens, typical of the rose family.

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The leaves are dark green on top with a whitish and downy color on the underside. They grow as leaflets that are three to five lobed on the terminal leaflet.

Photo credit

Plant Preparations
Meadowsweet is a versatile plant that can be used in a variety of ways.

A simple tea from meadowsweet is wonderful medicine. It is strongly aromatic, sweet and slightly astringent. Use a heaping tablespoon, or about 4-6 grams, per pint of water. Steep covered from 5 – 15 minutes. It will get noticeably more bitter with the longer steeping time. The tea is my favorite way to use meadowsweet.

Meadowsweet can also work well as an alcohol extract or tincture. Generally a small amount of glycerin is added to help extract the tannins.

See my article on meadowsweet elixir here. 

Henriette Kress recommends meadowsweet as a foot bath herb.

A meadowsweet foot bath with dried or fresh meadowsweet

Fresh: Put the herb in a 1-quart (liter) pan and add water to cover.

Dried: Put the herb in a 1-quart (liter) pan and add three times as much water.

Bring to a boil, steep for 15 minutes, and strain. Pour into a basin or large bowl and add cold water to cool to a comfortable temperature. Put your feet in for 10 to 20 minutes. Remember to wriggle your toes in delight from time to time!

Henriette Kress, Practical Herbs

Meadowsweet was commonly added to meads and ales.

Here’s a recipe from Herbalpedia for making a meadowsweet cordial.

Meadowsweet Cordial

• 6 or 8 heads meadowsweet flowers 
• 12 Tbsp water
• 12 Tbsp sugar
• 2 lemons

Put all the ingredients in a pan, having grated off the lemon zest and squeezed the juice. Bring to a boil, simmer for 8-10 minutes, then strain into a bottle, cool and cork. Use diluted in the proportion of 2 Tbsp cordial in a glass, filled up with soda and crushed ice— or use with gin and soda. It is best kept in a refrigerator. 

Special Considerations
Meadowsweet is safe for most people. However, it should be used with caution for the following people

• children under 16 who have the flu or chickenpox symptoms (because of the rare but serious Reye’s syndrome)
• people with asthma (may stimulate bronchial spasms)
• people who are allergic to aspirin

Deepen your herbal knowledge, in France!

I am very excited to announce that I will be teaching an intensive course in Provence, France in May of 2014 alongside my friend and colleague, Christophe Bernard. 

This week-long herbal course will be focused on helping you gain the confidence you need to work with people who have complex diseases. 

To learn more about the course visit our site

www.PlantsInFrance.com

Also, sign up on our newsletter to receive a free ebook, 

In Memory of Cascade Anderson Geller

Cascade Anderson Geller was an herbalist, teacher and passionate environmental activist. She was one of the first generations of herbalists to rejuvenate herbalism in the 70’s during a time when it had been almost entirely pushed to the recesses in the US. She passed on too soon, leaving us on May 4th, 2013.

Although Cascade had been teaching in the Pacific Northwest for many decades, it was only a couple years ago that I was able to meet her and study with her at various conferences in the region. I was immediately taken with her. Her sweet voice shared all sorts of wisdom, from plant uses to clinical pearls, to connection with place, to encouraging a strong sense of activism to protect our beautiful places from poisons and destruction. 

At one herb walk she said (and I summarize), As I move into my elder years, I am less interested in sharing what plants do, and more interested in sharing the deeper wisdom of what I have learned over the years.

This sharing of wisdom is what made her classes so fascinating to me. I took every class I could from her even if I felt I knew the topic well. Cascade would undoubtedly share pearls of wisdom that would change the way I saw the world. 

Cascade was also a storyteller. Last fall I shared housing with her at the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference and we all spent many hours sitting on the living room couches listening to Cascade tell stories from her life. Some were funny, many sad but all of them had a point for Cascade: There are the way things are and the way things ought to be! Her messages carried a sense of duty, as it was clearly our responsibility to make up the difference in between. 

I did not always agree with Cascade, but I think the most inspiring activists are like that. She wasn’t afraid to step on toes and shared her opinions passionately. Her concern was for the plants and the places they lived in, not with who she might offend in the process. 

I especially loved Cascade’s ability to read the land, something that comes only with decades of connection to place. How old are these trees? she would ask. Do you see where the plants have been sprayed with herbicides? Who sprayed poisons on our plants? Why? What are you going to do to stop that from happening again? 

Cascade has left us suddenly and far sooner than we had ever imagined. I know she had many projects in the fire, from in-depth research to organizing against spray programs in her area and, as always, sharing her wisdom with those of us who feel called to learn. 

I am shocked and saddened at her lost. As untimely as death always is, this is a strong reminder to make the most of our lives. And while Cascade has passed on sooner than we might have expected, she did live her life boldly. She touched thousands of human lives who then have undoubtedly reached out to touch thousands more. 

My heart goes out to those close to Cascade and to all those touched by her passing. May we continue to share her wisdom and fiery passion. 

I’ll leave you with some gems from Cascade taken from my own notes from several of her classes. 

Nature knows ahead what sickness there will be. What is abnormally abundant is what is coming. 

We need to wildcraft in order to keep things coming back. 

Plants are babies and babies come first. 

Waste is our own small evil. 

If you don’t take from the wild you aren’t appreciating it. 

Taking life [harvesting plants] is a sacred act; what you say and what you do is extremely important. 

We are the voices of the plants. 

You can’t wildcraft until your well is filled. 

Knowledge of how to harvest

Dressed well

Right tools

Right mindset

Consciousness

Practice your highest self. 

Our job is to enliven and thrive. 

-----------------------------------------

Here is a listing of videos and other tributes to Cascade. 

I'll update this as more are available. 

Tribute by the American Botanical Council

Tribute by the National College of Natural Medicine

Tribute by Ann Armbrecht from Numen

You can listen to a podcast from 2011 with Cascade here. 

A beautiful video with Cascade talking about dandelion...



A wonderful story from Cascade from the Rootstalk Festival about trekking through the Himalayas, discovering herbal allies along the way and the kindness of strangers. 

Third Time's a Charm: Or why we shouldn't always blame the herbs

I've noticed that when people start taking herbs and then experience a negative health change, the herbs are often the first thing blamed.

A person takes herbs in the morning and then they have a headache that night. Was it the herbs?  

Or they started taking herbs last week and now they have hives. Was it the herbs? 

It's easy to blame the herbs. Often times herbs are a strange new addition to a person's life. They can easily remember this new aspect of their life which makes it easier to point the finger in their direction. 

Sometimes it is the herbs and sometimes it's not. The reality is that there are so many variables in a person’s day that it is difficult to say with certainty what exactly happened. 

The person could have eaten bad food, had a super stressful day, didn’t get a restful night of sleep, starting eating something new, got a new detergent, and on and on and on. 

When trying to determine a causal relationship the general rule of thumb is to try something three times. If you get the same result after three times of trying it, then statistically it is most likely the herbs rather than some other factor in your life may be responsible. 

Here’s how this works. 

First time

Try the herbs once. I always recommend starting at a very low dose.

If you notice a negative reaction, then stop taking the herbs for a few days. 

Second time

Once all symptoms are gone, try the herbs again. If you notice a negative reaction, then stop taking the herbs. If you don’t notice a negative reaction, then continue with the herbs as planned. 

Third time’s a charm! 

If you have taken herbs twice and noticed the same negative reaction both times, then wait until the symptoms are gone and try the herbs one more time. Note the changes. 

If you try herbs three times and each time there is a consistent unwanted effect, chances are good that your body is negatively reacting to the herbs and there are more likely better choices for you. 

Note: it needs to be the same symptoms. If you try herbs one day and you get a headache, then the second time a stomach ache then there is probably something else going on. 

If you tried the herbs three times and had the same negative result but are really excited about these particular herbs you can wait a few weeks and go through the process again. Sometimes reducing the dosage of the herbs can be helpful at relieving unwanted symptoms as well. 

Another practice that is helpful during this trial phase of taking new herbs is to keep a diary to note any other changes in your diet, lifestyle, etc. 

First time isn’t enough

If one of my clients suspects a negative reaction to an herb after trying it once I always recommend trying it three times. The vast majority of the time it is not the herbs causing the problem. 

So keep that in mind. Trying something new one time and experiencing a negative reaction does not always mean there was a direct correlation. 

Of course common sense has to be employed here. If a reaction was severe or if the unwanted effect is easily explained, once could be enough. 

For example, garlic is an emetic herb. That means that when taken in excess it will make you throw up. If you juice ten cloves of garlic and drink it up, you will puke. You probably don't have to test that three times. 

Common unwanted reactions
Most herbs are incredibly safe and non-toxic. The most common unwanted effects from herbs are nausea and headaches. Most often the unwanted symptoms go away once the herbs are stopped. Oftentimes a lower dosage can also help.

Natural Pain Relief for Tension: Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus)

Scientific name: Viburnum opulus

Other common names: Guelder Rose 

Family: Adoxaceae (formerly Caprifoliaceae) 

Parts used: mainly bark but also berries

Energetics: bitter, cool, dry

Plant properties: relaxant, anti-spasmodic, astringent, sedative, diuretic

Plant uses: menstrual cramps, muscle cramps, early labor, miscarriage, pain, difficulty urinating, bowel cramps (IBS), diarrhea, child enuresis (bedwetting), spasmodic coughing, asthma, arthritis, muscle strain, seizures, high blood pressure, lockjaw (historic use)

Plant preparations:

Bark: decoction, tincture

Berries: Food-like preparations (used medicinally)

Specifically indicated in irregular uterine contractions, it is also used for muscle spasms of all types, including in smooth and skeletal muscles, bronchi (such as in asthma), arteries (contributing to hypertension), and the bladder. Its effect on smooth muscle appears to be greater than on skeletal muscle.

American Herbal Pharmacopoeia

This probably won’t surprise you, given its common name, but cramp bark is exceptional at relieving muscle cramps. It has a special affinity for smooth muscle tissues but works well for striated muscles as well.

Cramp bark for cramps! Sounds simple enough!

But plants rarely are that simple and instead have more complex ways of working in the body. For example, herbalist jim mcdonald categorizes cramp bark as an herb that “relaxes tissues and astringes tissues.” He feels that it both astringes mucosa and relaxes the underlying muscle tissues.

This monograph will look at the myriad of ways that cramp bark works to relieve muscle cramping and astringes tissues, how to use cramp bark with the best results, and how to avoid using it like a Band-Aid solution without ever getting to the root cause of the problem.

menstrual cramps

Cramp bark is the herb that many herbalists reach for to relieve painful menstrual cramps. It seems to work best if taken 1-2 days before cramping starts, but can also be taken as needed.

Cramp bark is considered a uterine decongestant. Signs of uterine congestion include bloating, cramping before menstruation as well as delayed menses. Uterine congestion can also be a pattern associated with endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts.

I’ve talked to many women who have had menstrual cramps their whole lives and think that this is “natural.” Painful menstruation is not natural! It’s a symptom and can be addressed.

My take-home message is that, yes, cramp bark is stellar for relieving painful menstrual cramping. However, if a woman is continually experiencing painful cramps, or other PMS symptoms, then it is far better to get to the root cause of the matter and get rid of them once and for all!

The chief therapeutic error made when treating acute severe menstrual cramps is to under dose, both in the size of the dose and its frequency. The German author R.F. Weiss suggests minimum doses of 20-30 drops, and a maximum of a teaspoon (Weiss). Doses may be repeated every several hours. Ellingwood suggests 20 drops every hour.

Paul Bergner 

NAIMH Course Materials

By Kenraiz (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

urinary pain

Urinary tract infections and bladder infections are often associated with frequent and painful urination. Cramp bark can relieve the pain and decrease the urgent frequency as well. Of course, the infection itself will still need to be addressed, but cramp bark will ease a lot of the discomfort.

Cramp bark combines well with bearberry for bladder infections with painful cramping and frequent urination with little passed.

Herbalpedia

bowel cramping (Irritable Bowel Syndrome, diarrhea)

Cramp bark can also relieve the pain of cramping that originates in the bowel. This is especially useful for more chronic conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

For acute cases of diarrhea, such as in food poisoning, we don’t necessarily want to prematurely stop the diarrhea. However, it is doubtful that cramp bark would have an inhibitory effect.

spasmodic coughing

Spasmodic coughing can be the worst kind of cough. This cough is characterized by a dry cough, meaning no mucus is expectorated, and often gets worse at night. It can be spasmodic in nature, resulting in repeated coughing that keeps you from sleep, burns the throat and is all-around unpleasant.

Antispasmodic herbs like cramp bark can relieve the muscle spasm causing this type of cough and therefore promote restful sleep.

high blood pressure

There are many causes for high blood pressure and many ways to find solutions for high blood pressure. Cramp bark can relieve tension in the cardiac muscle, arteries and veins, which can contribute to decreased blood pressure. This is especially suited for the person with lots of stress, tension and a type A attitude. Of course, diet, lifestyle and other cardiac herbs will need to be used to make a difference in someone’s long-term health.

muscle cramps

Have you ever “thrown out your back”? I have, countless times. One minute you’re doing a seemingly innocent thing like picking something off the floor (or you’re totally overdoing it gardening) and bam! something slips out of place and the pain increases steadily until lifting your pinky finger creates excruciating pain.

After a while the muscles around the area seize up, which immobilizes you even more. This is not necessarily a bad thing! Those seized muscles are protecting this vulnerable area. The holistic approach here is rest! Popping some pills or herbs and then heading back out to the garden is not a good idea and it can injure you further.

I often use cramp bark as a fomentation over cramped muscles when I’ve thrown out 

my back AND I rest and stay mostly immobilized. The cramp bark fomentation significantly decreases the discomfort, but I am also not going to push myself too much and increase the risk of further injury.

Another common way that cramp bark can be used is for restless legs. Restless legs are when your legs jump and move involuntarily as you are falling asleep. The underlying cause needs to be addressed, whether it is a nervous system issue or nutrient deficiencies (hint: magnesium deficiency is common). However, while figuring out what is going on, cramp bark tincture or tea can relieve the spastic muscles and promote sleep.

threatened miscarriage, early labor and labor

Cramp bark is used by midwives for both a threatened miscarriage, early labor and during labor. Kinda sounds a bit contradictory. That’s the beautiful complexity of herbs.

Cramp bark can relax the uterus to stop uterine contractions if they are happening too early, such as in a threatened miscarriage or early labor. However, cramp bark also helps to tone and regulate contractions, which can facilitate a healthy labor.

Even though cramp bark is a uterine relaxant, it does not appear to interfere with labor. Rather, it promotes uterine muscle tone and regulates the rhythm of the contractions, resulting in effective uterine contractions. Cramp bark is also indicated for afterpains and is useful in helping the uterus to regain its normal shape.

 American Herbal Pharmacopeia

tension headaches

Headaches and migraines that are associated with tension respond well to formulas that include cramp bark. Here’s an example of such a formula from herbalist Robert Dale Rogers:

For migraines associated with stress, combine with hawthorn, linden, marsh hedge nettle, and skullcap.

Robert Dale Rogers

Botanically speaking

Cramp bark is a deciduous shrub that grows up to 4 or 5 m tall.

It is native to the northern hemispheres and is often grown as an ornamental shrub.

By Kenraiz, Krzysztof Ziarnek (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

It has opposite leaves with three lobes. The leaves are 5-10 cm long.

By Quartl (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The flowers are both male and female and are white. The flowers are corymbs that comprise an outer layer of sterile flowers surrounding the center of small fertile flowers. The flowers bloom in the early summer and are insect-pollinated.

By H. Zell (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

  

The fruits are produced in drupes and are bright red.

By Jerzy Opioła (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Plant preparations

As the name indicates, we primarily use the bark for medicine. Cramp bark can be used in a variety of ways:

• It works well as a tincture or alcohol extract. A small amount of glycerin can be added to accentuate the astringency. 
• Decoction of the bark works well. I often add some chai spices like ginger and cinnamon to mask the acrid taste. 
• It can be used externally, but as an infused oil or as a fomentation. 

Aviva Romm recommends the following tincture for pain in children: 

Jamaican Dogwood (Piscidia piscipula) – Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus) tincture (a 50/50 combination) is a reliable alternative to ibuprofen or Tylenol for pain relief. 

Give 5-10 drops to children under 5; 10-20 drops to children 5-12, and 2-3 mL to older children. Repeat the dose in 15- 20 minutes, then every 2-4 hours as needed. Jamaican dogwood is said to cause respiratory paralysis in excessive doses; do not exceed the above doses and keep out of reach of children. 

Aviva Romm 

Plant Healer #6 

William Cook wrote in 1869 that his favorite cramp bark preparation was a syrup:

The best method of preparation is in some compound sirup; but it may be formed into decoction by macerating two ounces in a quart of hot water, expressing, evaporating to half a pint, and giving a fluid ounce three or four times a day. 

Cook Materia Medica 

1869 

The berries as food and medicine 

I have no experience using the berries as food or medicine, so I rely on herbalist Robert Dale Rogers for the following: 

The berries are rich in Vitamins C and K, and are used for coughs, colds, or a daily cordial that helps keep hypertension in check. 

The berries are tart, but delicious and can be preserved as a jam or ketchup for wild game. The berries contain water-soluble polysaccharides that possess immune stimulating activity and enhance phagocytosis. 

By H. Zell (Own workxgnasbsrashsnxdxnmjxshszas) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Cramp bark dosage

The following comes from the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia  monograph:

Powder: 1-4 g or as needed 

Decoction: 1 g per 1 cup water. 2-3 cups daily

Tincture (1:5; 45% to 55%): 2-4 mL 3 times daily

Fluid extract: (1:1; 45% to 55%)

Young girls: 10-30 drops daily

Adults: up to 1/2 tbsp as needed

Special considerations

The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia says that there is no known contraindication or toxicity associated with cramp bark. Other herbalists list the following special considerations:

• Avoid if allergic to aspirin 
• Avoid for small children
• Might aggravate tinnitus
• Avoid use with blood thinners 
• May lower blood pressure

Summary
Cramp bark is a natural and safe pain reliever for pain that is caused by muscle cramping and tension. Pharmaceutical pain relievers, even mild ones, cause serious side effects, like death. The CDC reports that NSAIDs cause around 7,000 deaths a year! 

Cramp bark offers us another alternative that is safer, effective and potentially far cheaper. Given the wide range of cramp bark's abilities, it's a good herb to keep in your medicine cabinet. 


This article was originally written for HerbMentor.com.