Cimicifuga Racemosa

A tall North American woodland plant of the buttercup family, traditionally used in homoeopathy for muscular aches, a stiff neck and crampy period pains.

Cimicifuga racemosa, now Actaea racemosa, is black cohosh, a tall perennial of the buttercup family from the woodlands of eastern North America. In summer it sends up long, wand-like spikes of small white flowers. The root is used to prepare the remedy.

It acts broadly on the muscles, nerves and female organs. Homoeopaths traditionally use it for aching, crampy muscles, a stiff neck and back, pains that shoot like electric shocks, and rheumatic pains in nervous, restless people. It is also associated with period pains, headaches linked with the monthly cycle, and a heavy, gloomy mood.

• Muscle aches
• Stiff neck and back
• Shooting nerve pains
• Period pains
• Gloomy mood