What Are the Medical Uses of Lycopodium Clavatum?

Lycopodium clavatum is an evergreen plant from which the pollen is used for many treatments in homeopathy. Referred to by many names, including wolf’s-foot clubmoss and stag’s-horn clubmoss, it has a pale yellow pollen from which lycopodium, a substance used to treat various health conditions, is derived. In medicine, this plant uses range from treating upset stomachs, food poisoning, kidney problems, and muscle cramps to serious conditions such as hepatitis and pneumonia. It can also be used to treat irritability and other emotional problems, as well as alcoholism and eating disorders.

In the 1800s, lycopodium clavatum was studied by physicians and used to stimulate appetite and urination. Various diseases were treated with it including rheumatism and gout in children. The plant’s pollen was also used as a treatment for skin conditions like eczema. When the pollen is processed into a homeopathic remedy, the lycopodium clavatum benefits include treatments for conditions affecting soft tissue, the liver and heart, as well as bones and blood vessels. Minor ailments like earaches, sore throats, and constipation are also relieved by the substance.

Lycopodium clavatum is also beneficial for relieving arthritis pain. In addition to physical ailments, it is also used to treat mental issues such as social anxiety, poor memory, and various fears including those of death and crowds. Frequent fevers can be alleviated by the pollen-derived substance as well, which can also be used for treating kidney conditions that cause blood to enter the urine. In children, this remedy is used as a homeopathic treatment for frequent tantrums and chronic tonsillitis.

Eating disorders are frequently addressed with lycopodium clavatum on a homeopathic basis. Gas and constipation are ailments it is indicated to treat for people suffering from those conditions, as well as conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, and gallstones. People who have a lack of appetite, crave sweets, and are often bloated have also benefited from this common species as well as other types of medicinal plants.

Lycopodium clavatum is a ground pine that grows in wooded areas, pastures, and swamps in many parts of North America, Europe, and other northern regions around the world. The medicinal powdery pollen can be obtained by cutting off the top of the plant and shaking it until the pollen and spores fall out. Related to other mosses and ferns, the plant is filled with pollen that is odorless, resistant to water, and which can catch fire if a person handling it is not careful.