This herb is BULK DISCOUNTED in our 10 lb & 25 lb bulk packs. To find the bulk packs, just copy and paste the herb name into our Search, or refer to our Bulk By The Kilo & Ton category.

We use only 100% Gluten-free, Vegetable Cellulose "00" capsules for all of our encapsulated products. We offer both bulk powder and capsules. Obviously our bulk bottles are bulk powder, not capsules, but the capsule weight is included to give you a way of judging the recommended dosage.

Cramp Bark - Botanical Powder -- Approximately 600 mg. each capsule. 1/2 teaspoon of powder is about equal to one capsule. Powder can be consumed by sprinkling it over your food or mixing it with a syrup such as maple or chocolate. You could also mix it with orange juice. The citric acid in the orange juice will help to mask any unpleasant powder tastes.

Other common names: High Bush Cranberry, Snowball Bush, Guelder Rose, King's Crown, High Cranberry, Rose Elder, May Rose, Silver Bells, Black Haw Bark*

Cramp Bark sounds exactly like what it is! It has been used to relieve cramps of all kinds, including menstrual pains, and relaxes muscles and eases spasms of the lower back and legs. Moreover, Cramp bark is said to be useful in cases of bronchial, gastrointestinal, genitourinary and skeletal muscle spasms. Cramp Bark is also said to support uterine function, help regulate excessive blood flow during menstruation and menopause, and ease postpartum, uterine and ovarian pain. The herb is also mildly sedative and helps to relieve many nervous conditions.

History:
Cramp Bark is a bushy tree that is said to be a native of North America, particularly southern Canada and northeastern United States, and cultivated in Europe and Britain. It is a hardy, deciduous ornamental that resembles the elder tree, growing to a height of ten feet and producing shiny, green leaves, topped with heads of snow-white flowers and drooping clusters of bright red berries. The tree thrives in deep, moist soil in sun or partial shade, and the bark is stripped before the leaves change color in autumn or before the leaf buds open in the springtime and dried for use in herbal medicine.

*Cramp Bark (V. opulus) is sometimes called Black Haw Bark (V. prunifolium), because it is closely related to it and has similar medicinal properties, albeit Black Haw is slightly weaker in nature); in addition, the herb frequently shares many of Black Haw's common names. Cramp Bark was a popular remedy among the Native Americans, who used it as a diuretic. The Malecites and Penobscots used it for mumps, which is interesting, since it is desirable to excrete liquids during mumps. Cramp Bark was officially listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia from 1894 to 1916, and it was later introduced into the National Formulary for the relief of asthma.

One of the early applications of Cramp Bark included its use during pregnancy to diminish miscarriage, but this is no longer recommended. Cramp Bark contains the very potent antispasmodic, viopudial, and other constituents included in Cramp Bark are esculetin, scopoletin, valerianic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, tannin, resin, coumarins, salicin and the bitter glycoside, viburnine.

Beneficial Uses:
Cramp Bark is said to be an effective antispasmodic that helps to relieve muscle cramps and spasms, menstrual cramps, lower back and leg spasms, and ease convulsions, lockjaw and fits. Its antispasmodic qualities were also noted in the National Formulary to alleviate asthma. Cramp Bark

has also been used externally to reduce muscle pain and ache. As a skeletal muscle relaxant, it is thought to be wonderful for leg cramps.

The salicin content in Cramp Bark is an aspirin-like compound and effective as an analgesic and painkiller.

As a sedative, Cramp Bark is believed to alleviate nervous constipation, hypertension, palpitations, hysteria, debility and other nervous complaints. Its efficacy in cases of hypertension is said to be caused by relaxing peripheral blood vessels, thus lowering high blood pressure.

Cramp Bark is thought to have an influence upon the reproductive organs and give tone and energy to the uterus and regulate uterine function. A volatile oil extracted from Cramp Bark has shown uterine sedative activity. The scopoletin content in the herb has been known to relax the uterus, helping to ease painful menstruation, regulate blood flow and alleviate postpartum and ovarian pain. Interestingly, it has been shown to have both uterine-stimulant and uterine-relaxant properties, and although it was used at one time to diminish miscarriage, that application is not now recommended.

As a bitter astringent, Cramp Bark's tannins are thought to be effective in treating excessive blood loss during menstruation and menopause. Cramp bark's astringent action also benefits atonic conditions of the pelvic organs, like uterine prolapse, and is thought to diminish hemorrhage during labor and post-partum.

Recent studies have shown that Cramp Bark is active as a smooth muscle relaxant that may also be useful as a cardiotonic.