Looking for medicinal herbs to aid in wound and pain care? Comfrey can easily be grown in your home garden. This herb grows like a weed in many areas. It is known as a knit bone, boneset and slippery root. Comfrey is a great first aid herb to have on hand.
Identification
Comfrey is a perennial herb with long lance-like leaves, each 12 to 18 inches long. They hairy leaves grow from a central crown on the ends of short stem. The pant reaching 2 to 5 feet in height and spreads to over 3 feet in diameter. It can be propagated from cuttings but it not invasive once planted. The flowers begin as a blue to purple bell, fading to pink. The leaves can be used to make a medicinal tea or gargle.
Medicinal Use
This herb is a valuable remedy that accelerates healing of the skin and wounds. A compress of the roots and leaves a can be applied directly to the skin or make into a salve. It inhibits growth of bacteria, helping to prevent infections and minimizes scarring. It is mucilage our and contains the compound allantoin, which boosts cell growth and repair. Comfrey tea is best used to alleviate stomach pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, bloody urine breathing problems, cancer, and chest pain. It can also be gargled to treat gum disease or sore throat.
Sprains, Bruises and Breaks
Comfrey salve or comfrey compresses are one of the best remedies for sprains, strains, bruised muscles and joints, and fractured ones. The herb speeds up the healing while increasing the saver or a poultice made from crushed comfrey root, up to 4 times a day.
Minor Skin Injuries, Burns, Rashes and Wounds
One of the best uses for comfrey is in healing minor injuries to the skin. Rashes, eczema, burns, and skin wounds heal quickly when herb is applied. Leaves and root can be used for this application. Apply Comfrey salve 3 times a day or used bruised leaves or crushed root to make a poultice for the damaged skin. You can use comfrey tea or comfrey root decoration as a wash for the area, especially for rashes, acne, eczema, and psoriasis. DO NOT use for deep wounds or punter wounds as it heals the too quickly, blocking in infection.
Our store front has a Healing Salve for you, using comfrey as one of the ingredients!
Harvesting
Leaves are best harvested in the spring or early summer, before the plant blooms. They can be harvested in serval cuttings and dried for later use. The roots can e dug at any time as needed. Leave behind part of the roots to encourage continued growth and an additional crop the next year.
Warnings
Harmful toxins in comfrey are believed to cause liver damage, lung damage, or cancer when used in highly concentrated doses. For this reason, many healers do not recommend internal use of comfrey. However, small doses have been used safely in herbal medicines for hundreds of years with no reported ill effects. Use internally with caution or under care.
It is recommended that bone fractures and bone breaks are properly set before using it. Do not use id you have liver disease or any liver problems. Not recommend for pregnancy or breastfeeding women.
Genesis 3:18
Every moving thing that live there shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.