👹 Devils Claw: Harpagophytum procumbens

Dry Desert, Pain, Disappointment

Spotlight Remedy: Harpagophytum procumbens

👹 Devil’s Claw: Dry Desert, Pain, Disappointment and the Verbenaceae family

Harpagophytum procumbens

Also known as the Wood Spider, Harpagophytum is native to the Kalahari region of southern Africa. It grows in extremely dry conditions, developing large tuberous roots underground and distinctive fruits covered with long, curved hooks or ‘claws’. These hooks catch onto animals, allowing the seeds to be carried. Their appearance is striking – they hook, catch and hold on.

Herbal Medicine to Homeopathy

Devil’s Claw is best known as a traditional herbal medicine for joint, muscular and rheumatic pain. The roots contain a number of active constituents, particularly iridoid glycosides Harpagoside has been investigated for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.

Traditionally the plant has therefore been associated with:

• arthritis and osteoarthritis

• rheumatic pain

• muscular and tendon pain

• back, hip and knee pain

• stiffness and restricted movement

Homeopathic themes

The proving source is associated with the musculoskeletal system – joints, muscles and tendons.

Pain may be tearing in character and aggravated by movement. The upper limbs, hips and knees can be particularly affected. The remedy picture includes rheumatism, gout, polyarthritis, osteoarthritis and ankylosing.

There can also be lassitude and weariness, as though the person has lost the energy to keep pushing against resistance.

Yakir, M. Homeopath - Verbenales Theme

The Verbenales group can carry a feeling of being dismissed, rejected or somehow not fully belonging.

“I can belong, but only if I give something of myself away.”

Yet giving themselves away feels like sacrificing their identity and autonomy.

They want to contribute and participate, but not at any cost.

This creates an interesting tension between wanting to be part of the world and needing to remain independent within it.

Jan Schloten states ‘They have the feeling of being partly dismissed, rejected. They feel as if they do not really belong to the group anymore, unless they give themselves away. But that is something they do not want to do, that they see it as giving up their identity and autonomy. They like to contribute, but not at all cost.’

In Harpagophytum, this can appear around work, purpose, achievement and the material world.

There may be a feeling that they have something important they are supposed to accomplish, yet somehow the world gets in their way. There can be problems surrounding business or work, with a movement from being industrious and engaged towards becoming increasingly discouraged.

o   Pleasure, Money and Disappointment

One of the interesting contradictions in Devil’s Claw is the relationship between pleasure and disappointment.

There can be a strong desire to enjoy life and an inclination towards material things or money. Yet when hopes or expectations are disappointed, the reaction can be profound.

o   The person can feel almost dead after disappointment.

o   Indifference and apathy

There is a striking image within the remedy material of people burying themselves and being happy. Symbolically, this feels very close to the plant itself: much of its substance and survival mechanism exists underground within its large tuberous roots.

A Delicate Constitution

Harpagophytum is of a delicate constitution that is oversensitive to hectic situations. The Devil’s Claw may be tough enough to survive the desert, but beneath that toughness lies a much more delicate story of sensitivity, disappointment, autonomy and the desire to remain fully oneself.

Growing Older

One of Yakir’s cases brings another beautiful dimension to Harpagophytum.

A woman who remained youthful and almost teenage-like in her manner suddenly became aware that the world saw her as an older woman. She was shocked by the recognition that she would grow old.

Following this realisation, she developed widespread joint pain together with muscular and tendon pains.

It suggests an intriguing connection between movement, youthfulness and the confrontation with limitation. The mind wants freedom, pleasure and possibility. The body becomes stiff and painful.

Something that once moved freely begins to feel restricted.

This mirrors the physical pathology of the remedy.

Physical Affinities

osteoarthritis • lower-back pain • rheumatic complaints • joint stiffness • musculoskeletal pain

• Musculoskeletal: Tearing pains of joints, muscles and tendons; arthritis, rheumatism, gout, osteoarthritis and polyarthritis; hip and knee complaints; pains worse from motion.

• Stomach: Dyspepsia and ulcerative tendencies.

• Abdomen: Gallstone complaints.

<< Weather: worse from changes of weather and as a storm approaches

<< worse  5–9 am // right sided

Energy: lassitude and weariness

<< worse from motion

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS REMEDIES

COMPARE with Related Remedies -

DD - Chlorine, Phosphorus and Bromine 

Anac / Bryonia

Kali-carb – worries over family and work, cough dry

Amm-carb – DRY cough and joint pains

Rhus- tox – flu / fevers with joint pains and respiration

For more information on how homeopathy can support you returning to a state of balance and repair. Do get in touch via my website or email kirstin.bruges@hotmail.com