Viburnum opulus

Viburnum opulus is a deciduous shrub native to Europe and North America, known for its red berries and use in traditional herbal medicine. In homeopathy, it is prepared from the bark of the root and is especially known for its antispasmodic action on uterine muscles, making it a classic remedy for painful menstruation and spasmodic pelvic complaints.

Introduced by Dr. Burt, and later clinically confirmed by Hale and others in American homeopathy. Not extensively proved in the Hahnemannian method but widely accepted based on clinical efficacy.

Viburnum opulus is the remedy of spasmodic cramping, especially in the uterine and pelvic region. Its central theme is sudden, sharp, and constrictive pain, appearing before or during menstruation, often accompanied by nervous unrest, emotional volatility, and profound relief from warmth, pressure, or flexion. It is suited to sensitive, nervous women, particularly during puberty or in early reproductive years. The pain is not from pathology but functional nerve-muscle spasms. The remedy exemplifies the psoric dynamic: changeable, reactive, responsive to emotion, and intensified by nervous triggers.

• Uterus and pelvic organs – Especially spasmodic dysmenorrhoea, neuralgic pelvic pain, threatened abortion
• Muscles and nerves – Cramping, twitching, and spasmodic pains
• Lumbar and sacral spine – Pain radiating from back to uterus or thighs
• Gastrointestinal tract – Colic, tenesmus, spasm
• Bladder – Irritable bladder, frequent urging with uterine symptoms

Marked irritability and nervous excitability around menses. Emotional lability, especially in young women with irregular or painful periods. Anxiety that something will go wrong during menstruation or pregnancy. Restless and moody before menses; better once flow begins. Fear of pain before anticipated cramping. Occasionally described as timid, especially when suffering. The uterine and sexual symptoms can produce significant mental unrest [Hale].

Restless sleep before or during menses. Wakeful from pain. Dreams anxious, usually linked with uterine themes—being attacked, labour, or bleeding. Sleep better once flow starts.

Dreams of being pregnant, losing a child, or physical danger. Nervous nightmares before menses. Dreams of escaping pain or being trapped.

Weakness with cramps. Sudden onset of pain with nervous trembling. Cramping better by pressure, warmth, and rest. Neuralgic pain without structural pathology. Most symptoms appear around menstrual cycle, especially before. Sensitivity heightened during this time. Spasmodic, constrictive pains define the remedy.

No primary use in febrile states. Slight chills before menstruation. Flushes of heat with cramping and restlessness.

Chilly before menses. Hot flushes during neuralgic attacks. Sweating relieves uterine pain. Cold extremities with cramps.

Headaches associated with menstrual or uterine tension. Throbbing pain in temples during cramps. Heaviness in the forehead before menses. Vertigo during period, especially in those with heavy flow or uterine bearing-down sensations.

Heavy sensation in eyelids before menstruation. Occasionally, visual dimness during spasmodic attacks. Dryness and aching from nervous strain.

No characteristic symptoms noted.

No specific indications.

Pale or flushed in sync with uterine pain. Expression drawn and tense during cramping. Perspiration on upper lip during severe spasms.

Dry mouth before menstruation. Bad taste in the morning. Occasional salivation with nervousness or nausea during uterine attacks.

No characteristic symptoms.

Throat constriction accompanying cramping or nausea. Nervous throat clearing before periods. Dryness of throat when anxious.

Constriction across chest during uterine spasms. Breathing shallow from abdominal tension. Palpitations from nervous irritation during periods.

Palpitations before menses or during uterine cramps. Nervous flutters with anxiety. Pulse may be irregular when pain is intense.

Short breath from abdominal tension. Dyspnoea on exertion before menses. Sighing respiration in anxious or spasmodic states.

Nausea with uterine cramps. Vomiting in severe cases of dysmenorrhoea. Cramping in epigastrium mimicking gastralgia, but of uterine reflex origin. Loss of appetite preceding menses.

Keynote region. Intense colicky cramps in lower abdomen, especially before or during menses. Pain may be neuralgic or bearing-down, often compelling the patient to double over or press against something for relief. Colic extends from uterus to thighs, or shoots down inner thighs like neuralgia [Clarke]. Flatulence with cramping. Bloated sensation before menses. A distinct sensation of constriction or tight band around lower abdomen.

Tenesmus of rectum during uterine spasms. Constipation during menses or before. Diarrhoea during emotional distress. Pain radiating from uterus to rectum in severe dysmenorrhoea.

Increased urinary frequency with uterine pressure. Bladder feels irritable during cramps. Involuntary dribbling of urine with severe pelvic pain. Straining to urinate in women with retroverted uterus.

No marked cravings. Appetite diminished before menses. Nausea from fatty foods. Aversion to meat or heavy meals around period.

Occasional use in prostatic irritation, with dull backache and frequent urination. Spasmodic pain in spermatic cord after sexual excess or excitement.

Primary sphere of action.
One of the top remedies for spasmodic, cramping dysmenorrhoea. Pain begins in lower back, passes around to abdomen and down thighs. Menses may be early or delayed, but the pain is neuralgic, constrictive, and spasmodic. May be accompanied by nausea, weakness, or faintness. Useful in threatened miscarriage with cramping and nervous agitation [Hale]. Bearing-down sensation as if everything would escape through vulva. Leucorrhoea profuse, watery, and irritating before or after menses. Cramping pain during ovulation. Nervous sexual excitement or oversensitivity with pelvic fullness. Pains better with pressure or lying curled up. Often prescribed for young girls with newly established but painful menstruation.

Lumbar pain radiating to thighs or pubis—keynote. Pain in sacrum and lower back preceding or during menstruation. Spinal aching with nervousness. Feels better lying on back with knees drawn up.

Trembling of legs during uterine pains. Cold hands and feet before menses. Shooting pain down inner thighs during menstrual colic. Cramping of calves and feet with period pain.

Cold, clammy during attacks. Flushes of heat around face and neck during cramping. Sweating during uterine neuralgia. No skin eruptions noted.

• Magnesia phosphorica – Colicky dysmenorrhoea better with heat and pressure; more general in action
• Cimicifuga – Neuralgic uterine pain with mental depression, but less cramping
• Pulsatilla – Menses irregular, gentle disposition; Vib. more spasmodic and irritable
• Caulophyllum – Spasmodic uterine pains with small, feeble contractions; more focused on labour
• Belladonna – Sudden, throbbing pains with heat and redness; Vib. has more cramping and less intensity
• Secale cornutum – Uterine haemorrhage with painless flow; Vib. is cramping without heavy flow

• Complementary: Magnesia phos., Pulsatilla
• Antidotes: Nux vomica, Camphora
• Follows well: Chamomilla, Caulophyllum
• Inimical: Belladonna (in high sensitivity)

• First remedy to consider in spasmodic dysmenorrhoea, especially in young women or girls
• Valuable in threatened miscarriage with colicky pain and restlessness
• Helpful for cramps before flow, where no organic lesion is found
• Combine with Mag. phos. for synergistic action in difficult cases
• Useful in neuralgic pelvic conditions with marked spinal connection

Female

• Dysmenorrhoea, cramping
• Menses, painful before flow
• Threatened abortion, with colic
• Pain, uterus, extending to thighs

Back

• Pain, lumbar, radiating
• Sacral pain before menses

Mind

• Irritability, before menses
• Anxiety, uterine pain with
• Restlessness during cramps

Generalities

• Spasms, uterine
• Better pressure
• Worse cold air

Sleep

• Disturbed, before menses
• Dreams, pregnancy, bleeding

• E.M. Hale – New Remedies: First detailed account and clinical experience with Viburnum, especially in uterine cramps and miscarriage
• T.F. Allen – Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica: Proving notes and indications in uterine neuralgia
• John Henry Clarke – Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica: Confirmations of uterine spasms and pelvic affections
• William Boericke – Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica: Clinical summary and generalities
• C. Hering – Guiding Symptoms: Nervous and reproductive connections