Comfrey: The Comforting Herb

Sent to Earth Clinic in 2002 by Cloe Jazwinski of Los Angeles, CA. Cloe knows a thing or two about healing a bone fracture. Cloe is a 2nd Dan black belt in karate who has used comfrey salves to heal two bone fractures.

She writes, "Comfrey is one of the most well-known healing plants, especially for its ability to heal tissue and bone (due to its allantoin content, which promotes the growth of connective tissue, bone, and cartilage, and is easily absorbed through the skin). Besides broken bones, these externally poulticed leaves and roots are also used for cuts, bruises and sprains."

Recipe: Comfrey is best used fresh and simmered. Use the sticky paste to make a compress and attach it with an elastic bandage. Use every night. This will speed the healing of the fracture dramatically.

To heal her fractures, every night Cloe would grind several tablespoons of comfrey with a mortar and would bring it to a boil with a few spoons of water. She then would make a paste out of it, spread the paste on a cotton cloth, wrap it around her arm, and put elastic bands or safety pins in to secure it. Even though she had 2 fractures, Cloe decided not to wear a cast but a sling, which is why she could take off the sling at night.

Writes Cloe, "The feeling of that compress was heavenly. Even though everyone said I'd always know where my arm was broken (rain and humidity brings back the pain for the rest of your life), I never felt it and I attribute that to the comfrey compress routine. It's known to heal wounds extremely fast as well (I use a pre-made ointment of comfrey and aloe on scratches and minor wounds and they disappear overnight). I see comfrey as the crazy glue of broken bones and skin..."

Comfrey Caveats:

Not recommended for internal use as there is some controversy about carcinogenic effects. The controversy around the use of this plant concerns its pyrrolizidine alkaloid components, which are considered carcinogenic to the liver; however, these studies have been performed on rats that were fed up to 33% of their diet in comfrey leaf. Studies done with the whole plant (rather than with isolated constituents) do not show carcinogenic effects but rather the opposite. In fact, the Japanese use comfrey vinegar extracts for treating cirrhosis of the liver.

I have a dozen or so laying hens and one very beautiful rooster. One of my hens hurt her foot and isn't bearing weight on it. She hops around pretty well though. What is really sweet is that my rooster is very protective of her and my son found him snuggled up with her under the chicken coop last evening!

I can't see any visible signs of trauma or break on her foot or leg. But obviously she has an injury. So I am putting fresh comfrey leaves out for all of my chickens to eat; it will be good for all of them and especially for my lame chicken. I will let you know how she does.

One picture below shows a chicken enjoying a comfrey leaf; the other is two of my sons holding the lame chicken after I checked out her foot.

~Mama to Many~

You can buy Comfrey leaf at Mountain Rose Herbs.com in the USA I went there to check it out they also carry powder as well. Good luck to all of you.

Mary

Mama to Many,

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!

Marla,

I just realized that while you are making your salve, you can also make a tincture with the same herbs. I just started a batch of this tincture tonight. All you would have to do is get some Vodka, 50 proof preferred. In a jar I put the same dried comfrey, calendula (flowers), plantain leaf, and burdock root. I cover it all with vodka. Just like the oil, I let it sit 2 weeks (or up to 6 weeks. You can also do the 3 day crock pot method. I have had two jars going in a crock pot at once, with a cloth between the jars so they don't hit one another and break.) Then I strain it through a clean t-shirt or coffee filter. (Coffee filter won't work for the oil.)

Then you have the herbs in a tincture. I don't use this internally. I get a small spray bottle and you have a spray! Sometimes it is more convenient to use the spray. I will use the spray on weepy rashes and weepy poison ivy as the alcohol helps to dry it out. This is more convenient at times. Sometimes having a salve on the area might be messy. My teen boys prefer the spray. It may briefly sting broken skin, so I would use caution using it on a child.

Anyway, as long as you are making a salve, you might want to add one more ingredient to your list (vodka) and make a tincture, too!
Some will use rubbing alcohol instead of vodka. I prefer vodka as it is food grade.

Enjoy!

~Mama to Many~

Dear Marla,

I have always used comfrey leaf for salve making, though I do use comfrey root some times for relieving pain of sprains etc.

I do use Burdock root though. So roots can be used to make a salve. I find that using powder to make the salve makes it very hard to strain. Die-hard herbalists tend to prefer powdering the herbs before making a tincture or salve out of them, but I have nearly always just used cut dried herbs and have always been happy with the results.

~Mama to Many~

Thank you for this recipe! I have one more question regarding the comfrey. Right now I have comfrey root powder---should I use this powder form? I have seen dried leaf comfrey for sale--is this the type of comfrey I should get? I am looking forward to making this, just need to get all the ingredients now.

Dear Marla,

Comfrey does grow very well in Middle TN, I am happy to say. You might look for it at farmer's markets or smaller nurseries in the spring. A very small plant will flourish into a large plant. And it is hard to get rid of (as if one would ever want to!) so plant it in a place where it can flourish and stay put a long, long time. (It does like full sun.)

I used dried comfrey for my homemade salve. I tried to use fresh comfrey for it once and it went bad - because the fresh has a high water content. So, I usually use dried herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. I combine several herbs in my salve - I will list them all. But even just using the comfrey (or just the plantain or calendula) will make a wonderful healing salve.

I fill (about 3/4 to the top) a mason jar with the dried herbs I want to use. I usually use comfrey, plantain, calendula, and burdock root, equal parts of each. Then I cover the dry herbs with oil. I use about 1/2 olive oil, 1/4 extra virgin coconut oil, and 1/4 castor oil. You could use all olive, but the coconut and castor have their own wonderful properties.

The jar is now full to the top with herbs and oil. I stir this up and let it sit in the laundry room for 2-4 weeks. If I need it in a hurry, I put the lidded jar in a crock pot (on a cloth towel towel) and fill the crock with water and keep the pot on warm overnight and low during the day. The water will need to be refilled a few times a day. I keep this brewing for 3 days.

Next I take the oil that has been sitting for 2 weeks or steeped for 3 days and strain the herbs out through a large piece of old but clean cotton t-shirt. The oil can be used "as is" now. This was my original recipe. Eventually, I melted in beeswax to make a salve, which is easier to use, much of the time. To make the salve, I add 1 Tablespoon of beeswax pastilles to each 4 ounces of herbal oil. I heat up the oil (a double boiler is ideal, though hard to clean out when you are finished! ) and add in the beeswax. I usually add some lavender essential oil, too. About 3/4 teaspoon for 4 ounces of oil. 4 ounce mason jars are ideal to store this in. Or you can buy all manner of cute little tins or containers online.

We use this salve for everything. Chapped lips, dry skin, eczema, bug bites, poison ivy, scrapes etc.

Let me know if you make some and how it goes!

~Mama to Many~

Dear Mama to Many,

Did I understand that you make your own comfrey salve? If yes, will you share your recipe? Also, I live in Middle Tennessee --- is this plant readily available to buy as I would like to plant some. I am just now learning about this plant!

Thanks again,

Marla

Dear Marla,

Sorry to take a while to respond - I lost track of this post.

The herbalists I mention are all reputed authors; they don't actually have practices, that I know of, anyway, and none of them live in TN.

If you are needing an herbalist for a women's health issue, you might look into The Farm Midwifery Center. My understanding is that they take a natural approach to health. If they are too far away from you, perhaps they would be able to recommend someone closer.

~Mama to Many~

I also live in TN and would like to know where your herbalist are as I really need to see someone. Thanks!

For those with receeding gums, you might look into toothpastes that include Comfrey powder. Full disclosure, I have not used comfrey for this purpose. The substance "allantoin" found in comfrey is known to promote cell proliferation and help heal wounds. I've read that comfrey is recommended for external use only (although I drink comfrey leaf tea now and then and have had no problems). Earthclinic's section on comfrey is well worth reading. Comfrey is a wonderful healing herb with many uses ... perhaps gum healing is one of them.

I love comfrey and always have it growing in my garden. However, the tincture will not work well for broken bones, sprains, and such. You really need a whole herb compress as water is a much better menstruum for comfrey.

I have noticed something very strange .. I am weaning off of a beta blocker and down to 12mgs. but I don't even think it's doing anything anymore and someone had mentioned that around here on the posts.. What I find very interesting is that doctors will give patients 12mgs of a beta blocker to control their hbp . Okay I have read countless stories online about people taking 12mgs. or 6mgs. of this drug and reporting their bp going down.. I think it doesn't even work at that low dose ... So now I am wondering is this like a placebo effect where people's minds are actually believing this drug is working and so the bp goes down.. There is a lot of connection as we know between mind and body... Just another reason for the health industries to push the drugs even when they don't work..and making us think they are working.. Ha. I am not one for conspiracy theories but this makes me wonder..

Comfrey is also called SYMPHITUM. Available as dried herb in health stores or online herbal companies.

This herb is so outstanding in its healing actions, that government interference has labelled it dangerous, side effects, liver etc. People have taken it daily and given it to horses and dogs without ever a complaint. This herb is a gift.

Namaste, Om

Hey there EC geeks was just wondering if you would know where if anywhere in Canada, comfrey aka "bone knit" might be available from. Just did a keyword search with Google and you guys topped great list. :) Please and Thank You.

Update: My friend with the broken collar bone was healed in three weeks. He applied the cream, made from the plant root, three times a day.

After two weeks he told me that there were six breaks in the bone. The thought came to me that he may be a sugar consumer so I suggested he avoid sugar and soft drinks (soda). These acids cause leaching of calcium (alkaline) out of the bones as the body frantically tries to neutralize the increased acidity in the blood. The added loss of calcium from the bones, slows down the healing process. In addition, this causes them to be weak and prone to breaking or fracturing in the first place.

I've been using comfrey for my acne. It works wonders!!!! It also takes away scarring also! It works wonders...but just a little hint...fresh is always better tho the dried comfrey works also. Another story:

My sister's neck was really scraped up and brush-burned really bad and looked terrible...she was screamingcrying a lot! I put a crushed, fresh comfrey leaf on.. and in seconds she calmed down and was relaxed!!! The next morning it didn't look half as bad!!!!!! Thank God for healing herbs :) :)

Five months ago a friend was repairing his 2-ton trailer when the jockey wheel broke and the draw bar landed on his foot. After two trips to the hospital it was confirmed that he had indeed broken it. They placed his foot in a "boot" and told him to come back in a week as it was too swollen to place in a cast.

He called my husband and I and I told him about comfrey ointment. He was pretty stressed out and desperate as he and his wife had just sold their property and were packing up to leave in a few weeks. He decided to give it a try. He applied the cream three times a day for a week.

When he returned to the hospital he told the doctor he was healed. Of course she didn't believe him until she pressed, twisted and pushed on his foot without him uttering a sound.

She had another look at the x-ray and it definitely showed the broken bone.

Just over a week ago, a young friend had a fall off his motor bike and broke his collar bone. Of course I had to mentioned about the comfrey ointment and relayed the above testimony.

He was pretty excited and the next day, his fiance bought a jar from the chemist and he started to apply it to the area. I saw him two days ago and he said he was able to sleep and could move his arm up, down and around, without pain, whereas before the ends of the bones were touching and causing him great discomfort. He is yet to have his doctor's appointment, but judging by the progress so far, he won't be taking six weeks to heal.

I have been using comfrey tea as a hair rinse for over a year and have not experienced any side effects. I brew the tea from dry comfrey leaves.

Dear Courtney,

The company that made your salve is trying to avoid liability. We have used a homemade salve using comfrey for years and it is very effective and safe, in my opinion. Three herbalists whom I trust and have gleaned much from (Rachel Weaver, Phillip Fritchey, and Lalitha Thomas) are all aware of the "studies" and yet, they still give information about comfrey and how to use it internally. My family has used it internally and externally and love it. Personally, I think the FDA does not want comfrey to be safe. It is so effective that it has the potential to hurt drug sales. I find it sad that comfrey gets a bad rap, when there are so many drugs called, "safe" by the FDA that are not safe at all. It is a money thing. Drug companies do not make money if people get better using comfrey.

All that said, you must do what you are comfortable with. If you try your salve, be sure to let us know if it is effective for your pain!

Have a great day!

~Mama to Many~

Courtney: 3000 years ago there were city states. Everybody had to have great strength because they were always warring against each other. They had to get their strength from properly prepared food. Today there is peace. People don't need great strength. There are a handful of people who figured an easy way to make a lot of money. They would make people sick with improperly grown food and then make them sicker with some synthetic meds. When somebody said comfrey can heal they hired some underlings to slander God's Goodie. They isolated 1 substance from comfrey and gave that to some rats at 1000 times the dose. Of course they got sick. There are farmers in Australia who fed their animals bales of comfrey for decades. They drank comfrey tea and ate comfrey salad every day. You can make green smoothies from comfrey leaf and feel like wonder woman.

EC researchers--- please look out. Vested interests are putting out their bit to mislead and misinform the public. Especially if an herb or substance is effective and within means, there come the lies and efforts to discredit herbology and folk remedies that have been used for hundreds of years.

For example: recently and longer, BORAX, KEROSENE, TURPENTINE, COMFREY, even KOMBUCHA.

I was perusing a page on Kombucha, when a well known link that starts with L...discredited it as being unsafe when Kombucha has been brewed in countless homes for umpteen years with the effect that in those areas in the world cancer did not make its debut.

I am getting angry when Truth becomes "myth", when well being of man is undermined and the public drained of resourses and left callously to die from man made poisons. In the name of commerce and control.

If one peruses history, this has been done every time, killing volk wisdom and its knowledgeable citizens over and again.

How many of the good people who have made a huge difference to mankind with their natural remedies are in jail or IN HIDING??

Very angrily, yours, Namaste Om

I beg to differ. Comfrey or symphytum is not toxic if taken internally. There are many people who take a leaf daily for its health giving properties. Because comfrey is so beneficial internally and externally, gov't has it demonized and the lie goes around the globe in a trice. Of course, as with everything else, if you take loads ... but let's be frank. Natural medicine does not kill. Namaste, Om

After reading many posts here about the benefits of comfrey, I bought a comfrey salve that received good reviews online. I just got the package in the mail and when reading the application instructions, I saw that it also said "may cause illness or death". (What the...! ?! ?! ) I'd planned to rub it into my hip bones before bed to help me sleep through the night without the ache waking me up, but now I'm afraid to use the stuff. Anyone? Thanks.

Hello there, I bought Comfrey many times from this online store: www.torontoherbs.com. They have it cut and sifted and into powder form. Best regards, Pamela

You can buy bulk from any health food store worth its salt, or from Wild Rose Herbs from Calgary. Also, Community Foods in Calgary, although I can't say where in Edmonton. Any health food store can tell you.

You can buy comfrey roots in any herbal stores. It is widely available in GTA. I bought mine from Herbies-Herbs in Queen Street, Toronto. Or look for the brand Celebration Herbals, it has comfrey tea bags Good Health

Where can I buy comfrey? I am looking to buy seasoned comfrey root or tincture. Please help me:)

Dear EC,

Lately, I am testing with Comfrey Leaves and Roots. Although there are widespread information about the usage of Comfrey in Internet.

Comfrey has incredible healing powers for respiratory, skeletal, digestive systems, especially for skeletal systems.

I request you too include section about Comfrey, so the people can advice how to use comfrey.

There are some ways that comfrey should not be taken, but varying info are available online. Some say you can take Comfrey Root Tea, some say you should not take comfrey root tea.

I tried both Root Tea and leaf tea. Leaf Tea was great.

Soon I will post how to use comfrey based on my experience

Good Health

Having grown and used Comfrey for the past forty years, and amazed at not only it's useage as a medicinal herb, but as a great food for animals, I would have thought it deserved a place as one of THE great herbs available to mankind.

When every wild thing (Deer, Kangaroos, wombats etc. ,) come for miles around to raid your garden, and the only thing they want to eat is your Comfrey, you can bet their natural instincts know a thing or two!!

Comfrey Tincture:

If you can't find it in the store, simply chop some comfrey root from your garden like you would onion for a meatloaf.

Fill a small jar 2/3 - 3/4 full of this coarsely chopped root. Then fill the jar with 80 - 100 proof vodka. That is all. Let the jar set for two - four weeks or more. Strain out the liquid and bottle it in a dark bottle and there you have it!

A wonderful, but slimy, comfrey tincture that really works miracles!

I am SOLD ON Comfrey!

Called the "Miracle Herb", it is a miracle in so many ways!

Someone on this site mentioned Comfrey for the healing of boils caused by staph.

I LOVE it! I even grow it in my garden, now. You can make a poultice of it for broken bones, sprains, tennis elbow, gout, and usually one treatment will amaze you!

I plan to make a paste of it and baking soda to place on my red areas on my scalp for Folucitis (caused by staph _ MRSA found via a nasal culture. ) If I can locate it, I may try the tinture.

You can also buy Comfrey in dried leaves, roots, and some places sell the tinture.

Because comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) which are toxic to the liver, I feel it has received a bad rap.

Andrew Hughes, researched Comfrey for over 30 years, and was around 90 or 94 when he wrote the book "Comfrey, the Miracle Herb". He said his entire family had consumed lots of Comfrey on a daily basis for that many years, receiving only benefits.

Comfrey is very nutritious and you can make green energy drinks from it, using other greens and juice, like pineapple. A friend of mine likes celery in hers.

You should consult your health care provider, if you have any liver problems.

I personally have had Hepatitis C, and use Comfrey without fear.

In 1995, I was living in a small rural town without medical facilities when my bowel ruptured. When my husband got me to the hospital in a neighboring town, they did emergency surgery and removed 14 inches of my descending bowel. Because I had peritonitis, they weren't able to close the incision completely. It had to heal on it's own. I was taught by a home health nurse to pack the opening, which went from my breastbone to my pubic bone and was gaping open about four inces across. Each day I would wet yards and yards of gauze with sterile saline, fill the wound and cover it with a dressing. I was told it would take three months for the sides to pull together and close. I had comfrey growing in my yard, and decided to do what I could to help myself. I made strong comfrey tea with the sterile saline and soaked the gauze in the tea before packing the wound. I don't have to tell you how gross it looked with the green gauze soaked with body fluids, but I watched, each day, facinated, as tiny translucent, flesh colored globes of granulation tissue grew in the bottom of the wound. The home health nurse came ince a week and was amazed at how rapidly the wound was closing and how free of infection it remained. When I went for my six week checkup, the doctor said, "Your nurse has told me what you've been doing. I want to see this. " When he removed the dressing (which I'd put on for his benefit) he said, "Well, I'll be --------. " All that was under the dressing was a clean white scar, completely healed. I've used comfrey, as have these other people, for many purposes, for many years, but this was the most spectacular. Right now I'm using it as a poultice on a biopsy of a cancer on my nose while I'm waiting the results. Whatever the outcome, I know I'll heal well with comfrey.