Comfrey - Herbal Alternative for Bone Healing

For centuries the herb Comfrey as been used as a healing remedy for bone fractures.  The folkname for this herb is "knitbone" which indicates that the plant has been thought to be a potent healer that can assist in mending broken bones. 

There is modern evidence that comfrey indeed has strong healing properties. It was found that comfrey contains allantoin, a chemical that helps encourage the growth of muscle, cartilage, and bone growth. The most common way to get allantoin to the muscle is by crushing the herb into a powder that is then applied topically over an injured limb. It is believed that the allantoin is then absorbed through the skin and encourages the speedy healing of broken bones. In fact during the Middle Ages comfrey baths were very popular.

Comfrey itself is slightly sweet, moist, and cool. Its chemical constitution includes inulin, vitamin B 12, proteins, mucilage, tannins, steroidal saponins, allantoin (this is mainly found in the plants flowering tops) and pyrrolizidine. The aerial parts are often used to create herbal remedies and together with the root of plant are commonly used for healing purposes.  

The leaves of the comfrey plant are especially rich in allantoin. The leaves and flowering tops of the plant are mostly used for external purposes. These parts of the comfrey plant are often used to create ointments and infused oils that are used to treat arthritic pain, sprained joints, and other physical injuries. The flowering tops of the comfrey plant should be harvested in the early summer.

The root of the comfrey plant is also widely used by herbalists. The root of the plant has many of the same properties as the leaves, but the root tends to be colder and nourishing in its actions. Herbal remedies created from the root of the comfrey plant are often used to treat varicose ulcers. The root should be harvested in the spring or fall because this is when the allantoin levels in the root are at its highest.

There are many common ways to prepare comfrey. The plant can be made into a poultice. Traditional herbalists will puree fresh comfrey leaves and apply the mixture to minor fractures that would not need to be set in plaster. These types of injuries include broken toes, ribs, or a hairline fracture.

Comfrey is often used in cream form. This makes it easy to spread over pained areas. Comfrey-based creams are often used to treat the symptoms of arthritis and any other form of muscle damage. The aerial parts of the comfrey plant can also be made into an infused oil that is used to treat bruises, arthritic joints and pain, sprains, inflamed bunions and any other sort of traumatic injury.

Overall Comfrey is a very useful herbal plant and has many medicinal properties that can be used as an alternative to man-made chemical preparations.