Comfrey

Symphytum officinale

Overview

Comfrey was traditionally taken to treat a wide range of health problems, but its internal use has now been discontinued due to safety concerns, and today it is only used topically.

Usage

Comfrey is sometimes referred to by the name 'knitbone', a reference to its traditional use to support the healing of fractures. It is applied in an ointment to the skin over the affected bone or joint, and believed to enhance the repair of damaged bone.

It is also applied topically to relieve bruises and many types of aches and pains, including sprains, strains, muscle pain (myalgia), and the pain of osteoarthritis.

These traditional applications have been tested in just a handful of clinical studies, the results of which appear to support comfrey's reputation as a potent healer for the musculoskeletal system.

For example, when patients with acute back pain used comfrey ointment or a placebo ointment three times daily for 4-6 days, the patients who used the comfrey ointment experienced significantly more improvement in pain brought on by movement than those who used the placebo. In a similar study comfrey also brought relief to back pain that occurred at rest and on palpation, and improved overall back function.

In arthritis research, comfrey ointment has been shown to be more effective than placebo for relieving pain and improving mobility and quality of life for people with osteoarthritis of the knee.

And finally, when comfrey ointment was compared to diclofenac gel (a topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID) for the treatment of ankle sprains, comfrey was found to be more effective than the pharmaceutical for reducing pain, swelling and tenderness, and improving the mobility of the affected ankle.

In some cases, comfrey was observed to work very quickly, improving symptoms in as little as one hour.

Instructions

Cautions

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