The Medicinal Uses of Snowball Bush (Viburnum opulus)

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.

 
Snowball bush, Viburnum opulus, is also known by numerous other common names, including highbush cranberry, (European) cranberry bush, Guelder rose, and cramp bark.  It is the last of these common names that suggest what it's used for and where the medicine comes from.

Viburnum opulus prefers damp, moderately alkaline soils, but adapts to grow well just about everywhere.  If it doesn't occur naturally in your area, you can plant it in your yard.  It's a shrub commonly used in home landscaping.  (I got mine at Home Depot.)  High in vitamin C, the berries are similar to cranberries and often substituted for such in cooking, including making jams and jellies.  While considered edible, when consumed in large quantities they can cause nausea.   

Harvest:  It is the inner bark of the snowball bush that is medicinal.  It is best harvested after pruning in the spring, before the leaf buds open.  Alternatively, the bark may also be gathered in the fall, after the leaves change color.  It is then dried for later use. 

A decoction of the bark is an alternative to raspberry leaf tea and ginger for menstrual cramps.  It can be used instead of capsaicin cream, devil's claw, or white willow bark for lower back pain.

Medicinal uses:  Historically, cramp bark was used primarily for relieving menstrual cramps, easing labor and delivery, and preventing miscarriage.  It was also used to a lesser extent in treating mumps, gallstones, and asthma, and also valued for its use in reducing anxiety and high blood pressure.  It is used similarly to willow for managing tension headaches.  Modern research has demonstrated its efficacy in treating duodenal ulcers and endometriosis.  There are anecdotal reports of it being useful in treating restless leg syndrome, arthritis, inflammation, and epididymitis.

When Viburnum is being used to treat menstrual cramps, it is most effective if taken two to five days before cramps begin. 

Tincture:  Viburnum opulus is tinctured in a 1:5 ratio in 50% alcohol.  (One part Viburnum bark powder by weight to five parts alcohol by volume.)  The recommended dosages range from 30-90 drops, up to four times per day, to 1/4 teaspoon in 4 ounces of water, 2-3 times per day. 

Decoction:  For relieving painful cramping associated with menstruation, before it begins and after it ends, three times per day boil one tablespoon of powdered bark in a cup of water for ten minutes and drink.  For gallstones, four times per day boil 1/2 teaspoon of powdered bark in one cup of water for ten minutes and drink.

When it comes to menstrual pain, this species is reportedly better for pain in the back that radiates down to the thighs.  A related species, Viburnum prunifolium (black haw), works better for cramps in the pelvic region.

Contraindications:  May lower blood pressure.  May aggravate tinnitus.  Avoid use with blood thinners.

For further reading:
Stephen Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics, p 379.  
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21186982
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17218766 (ulcers)
https://medicinalherbals.net/cramp-bark-viburnum-opulus/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27647013  (endometriosis)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/viburnum-opulus
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Viburnum+opulus
https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/g/gueros44.html

https://herbpathy.com/Uses-and-Benefits-of-Viburnum-Opulus-Cid2143

 3.23.20