Herbs for cramps.
That's menstrual cramps, not muscle cramps.
There's a few choices for killer cramps:
- Peony root (Paeonia sp.). Dig up a simple-flowering, preferably red, peony in fall, tincture some of the oblong bulblike roots you find, and put the rest back to flower for you next year. 10-15 drops as needed help some (but not all) ladies with really bad cramps. (fresh root tincture, 1:2 95 %).
- Cotton root (Gossypium sp.). Dig up root, tincture all of it (not just the rootbark - that's a waste of good herb). 10-15 drops as needed help some, but not all, ladies with really bad cramps. (fresh root tincture, 1:2 95 %)
- Angelica root. I've given recently dried Angelica archangelica root to ladies with endometriosis. You don't mess around with making tea of these slices, you chew on one. The cramp is gone like [snap] that. Endometriosis cramps are the worst there are. It's not "oww, this hurts", it's "... and then they said I went all white, and next thing I know I wake up here with you asking me if I'm OK." Angelica stops the cramp before you faint from the pain.
- Calamus (Acorus calamus), a "super angelica". Chew on a bit of root when that cramp hits.
Note, angelica root tastes vile. None of my ladies ever wanted more than the 1-ounce (30 ml) glass jar of root slices they got on their first visit. A little goes a long way, and you really don't take it unless you need it.
Not that peony root, or, for that matter, cotton root, taste any better. And calamus root is usually much too strong to be what you'd call tasty.
Other things for cramps: discontinue coffee and other stimulants. Help the liver. Stop smoking...
If you can get both black haw (Viburnum prunifolium) and cramp bark (Viburnum opulus) you could make Hayden's Viburnum Compound. Michael Moore has a recipe in his Formula booklet (.txt / .pdf):
5.10 HAYDEN'S VIBURNUM COMPOUND (Modified) Black Haw (Viburnum prunifolium) 1.5 ounces Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus) 1.0 ounce Trillium (dried) 1.0 ounce (OR Cotton Root Bark) (1.0 ounce) Dioscorea (Wild Yam) .5 ounce Skullcap (recently dried) .25 ounce Cloves 1.0 ounce Cinnamon Bark .75 ounce Orange Peel .5 ounce
Go for the full recipe on his site.
Michael calls it the queen of cramp remedies; it's pretty much cramp herbs + digestive aromatics.
Darcey: haven't tried dong
Darcey: haven't tried dong quai for cramps, but as you say, it can increase bleeding. Dunno if the archangelica does that, but anyway, it's great for cramps - and I can grow it in my garden. Recent root only, older root (say, 3 years in the jar) has lost much of its zing.
So try the dong quai and tell us about it?
Thanks!
See, jim, I don't have cramp bark (or wait - Viburnum opulus? That one I have ... but it's not all that common in the wild, seeing that we're short on decidous forests), black cohosh, or wild yam. I'll give the motherwort a try; I don't like to give mugwort to anybody because it gave me horrible nightmares a few years ago.
Sharon: (Your comment got
Sharon: (Your comment got cut off, dunno why.) Fascinating data, thanks! What form of angelica do you use? Chewed dried root works instantly for cramps.
Sharon, Darcey: And with all those comments I'll add the viburnum to my repertory.
Sharon: I expect any
Sharon: I expect any Angelica would do. So tincture, eh? I haven't tinctured angelica, and it's possible that it's different depending on the mode of administration.
About the osha, sorry, can't help, we don't have that, and most importantly, I don't have that. I wish I did, though.
Pamela: interesting, thanks! I take it the marshmallow helped with the cramps after your miscarriage?