How to Use Comfrey to Help Heal Broken Bones

Traditionally comfrey was referred to as knit-bone and was used as a poultice—and as a food—to encourage healing of broken bones and wounds. As part of our self-sufficient lifestyle living off the grid, I grow organic comfrey and a range of other medicinal herbs.

As soon as my husband returned from hospital after surgery on his broken ankle, I began including fresh comfrey in his meals.

I waited until the surgical staples were removed from his wounds before applying a comfrey poultice directly to his broken bones, but I didn't wait for long. Here's how I included comfrey in his recovery process.

Two days after the staples were removed from my husband's broken ankle, I applied the first comfrey poultice. Because I grow my own organic comfrey, I knew there was no danger of chemical fertilizer or pesticides on the plant.

It was a little disappointing that it was winter and most of my comfrey plants had died back, at the time my husband had an accident that resulted in broken bones, but I had enough plants in sheltered positions (including a couple in large pots) to create the first poultice. Now that it's springtime and my comfrey is more prolific, I am making more.

I pick the leaves, wash them in fresh rainwater (I live off the grid and carefully collect clean rainwater for drinking), and use the leaves immediately. Comfrey is available in processed form from a variety of outlets. Many people use bottled products, but I always harvest from my own plants and use medicinal herbs fresh. I use a cold-press juicer to crush fresh comfrey leaves when preparing a comfrey poultice.

The beauty of this type of juicer is that it separates the comfrey juice from the pulp. They can be collected in separate containers if you prefer.

First I rub some juice into his leg, then I mix the comfrey pulp with the remaining juice and "plaster" it on thickly. Note the plastic kitchen wrap beneath his ankle... and the towel beneath that. A comfrey poultice can be messy.

Healing Broken Bones

This is just one in a series of articles I've written about my husband's broken ankle. If you've followed his story you'll know that I effectively reduced his swelling using a natural product, allowing surgeons to operate within 24 hours of the accident.

You'll also be aware he has been eating specific foods to help strengthen broken bones.

You've probably seen the photos after surgery, and the x-rays showing the plates and screws used to hold his broken bones together.

Here are the photos most relevant to his use of comfrey after his surgical staples were removed.

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Please note the dramatic difference between his leg looking like "a piece of meat" when the staples were taken out, and the second photo showing the smaller scar on his ankle, immediately after the comfrey poultice.

We were particularly impressed by the healthy pink area where the staple marks are barely visible. Unfortunately it was winter and I didn't have enough comfrey on hand to wrap it thickly around his entire ankle. I wonder how good the results might have been if I had.

When I only had a limited amount of fresh leaf, I chose to include comfrey in his meals, with only a small amount left to make into a poultice.

With the changing season and more comfrey leaves growing, I now plaster the comfrey on thickly.

How Does a Comfrey Poultice Feel?

My husband says the comfrey is very soothing.

After a week of spending all day every day on his feet, working and walking, he came home early today because his ankle was aching and he simply had to stop. It is only four and a half months since his accident and surgery—and he had been warned it could take a year or more before he would be back to normal.

Within an hour of me applying the fresh comfrey poultice, he said the ache was gone. He left it on for most of the day. Today I also put some underneath his foot, instead of just on his lower leg and ankle where the plates and screws were inserted, in case it might help.

Of course, he finds it impossible to remain seated for too long and insisted on short walks around the house. He said walking with the poultice on felt like treading in porridge.

Comfrey has many uses in my home. I keep at least a little growing in a pot in case of winter emergencies (like my husband's broken ankle), and lots growing in the garden to use as a mulch and plant food during the vegetable growing seasons.

Ways to Use Comfrey to Aid Your Recovery

• As a poultice, applied over your broken bone.

• Fresh leaf used in stir-fries (please research your species of comfrey and proper dosage to avoid ingesting plants with potential toxicity).

• Juiced for a drink. Add some lemon juice, a little water and a teaspoon of honey to make it more tasty (again, please research your species of comfrey and proper dosage to avoid ingesting plants with potential toxicity).

Isn't Comfrey Toxic or Poisonous When Eaten?

Some governments have banned the use of comfrey tablets and capsules for medicinal use, yet have no objection to comfrey being used as a food. If you study the debate, you will learn that an adult human would need to eat over 19,000 comfrey leaves to ingest an amount of comfrey comparable to the quantity given to baby rats in an experiment that resulted in liver damage.

It saddens me when government authorities ignore hundreds of years of traditional healing and fail to adequately question "research" before deeming a natural remedy unsuitable for widespread use.

Because we are never likely to eat 19,000 comfrey leaves in our lifetimes, let alone in a short period of time, we happily eat comfrey as food. It is one of the main foods we use for strengthening broken bones. I don't like buying tablets and capsules, and always prefer to grow my own organic produce.

Fortunately, comfrey is surprisingly easy to grow.

Does Comfrey Really Help to Heal Bones?

Despite breaking multiple bones in his ankle and requiring the surgical addition of plates and screws, my husband was walking unaided just three months after his accident.

We had been told by his doctors it would likely be a year or more before his ankle was properly healed. Did comfrey help heal his broken bones? Yes, we believe it did. Nature provides many remedies too valuable to ignore. Comfrey is one of them.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

Questions & Answers

Question: What kind of comfrey did you use?

Answer: The difference in varieties of comfrey is really not worth worrying about. I use two types: some with white flowers, some with purple. I use the leaves from both.

Question: My daughter has a fracture on her foot. How often do I need to use comfrey oil on it?

Answer: I use fresh comfrey, not store-bought comfrey oil. I put fresh comfrey poultice on at least once a day during the initial healing period. I’m not familiar with ‘comfrey oil’ but I suggest you apply it a couple of times a day. Make sure you don’t put it onto an open/healing wound though. If she has stitches, avoid them.

I also suggest you take a look at my article about foods to help heal broken bones, if you’re looking for additional ideas. Plus if your daughter has swelling, I’ve written about that as well.

Question: Where can I get a comfrey plant?

Answer: Ask at your local plant nursery. They should be able to order one in. The plant you buy will be very small, but comfrey is quick growing if you plant it out in good soil and give it room to grow.

Your other option would be posting a ‘wanted’ ad on a local website or in your local newspaper where gardeners are likely to see it. All you need is a small piece of comfrey root to plant.

© 2013 LongTimeMother

Comments

Barb on June 06, 2020:

I broke my ankle had surgery they put in a plate and screws. After stitches were taken out, I have been using a comfrey poultice wrap for 2 hours at night. How long do I keep doing this? And can I use to much comfrey?

Tracey on May 19, 2019:

O i was sitting here all morning praying to JESUS because my little budgie fell of his stupid pearch playing up yesterday and hes seriously fractured his little tiny leg its so deverstating i have comfrey in the garden and i thought about it being a GOOD idea to use but how can i application it on jim its right where the leg jioned with the body hes on antihistamines now for the pain relief but they want to amputate his leg OMG im stressed out here

Samanthayau on July 13, 2018:

I have a broken wrist, resulting from a 6 feet fall. Doctor had a frame to stabilise the bones after surgery. It has been 6 weeks. Bones are not growing after examining the X-ray. The stitches look quite healed but not the bone. How do i speed up the bone growing process?

Waple Lewis on June 09, 2018:

Will comfrey poultice help a year old fractured hip.

LongTimeMother (author) from Australia on June 03, 2018:

Good luck with your cracked rib, Marly. Here's a link to some more foods to help fix it. https://remedygrove.com/remedies/Broken-Ankle-Heal...

Marly on June 03, 2018:

Thanks for this! I foolishly tried to move one of my goats backwards in the milkstand by pushing on her head gently. Obviously she has an instinct to push back...so I have a cracked rib. I'll be drinking my comfrey today, it's large and lush at this time of year. I use it in so many ways but never thought of juicing. Best wishes!

akshay ortho on May 10, 2018:

I just ordered steel insoles as suggested by my doctor for painful arthritis in my feet. The ordering process was quick and easy. The price for the insoles ($37.97) was high for what it is, just two thin pieces of steel shaped like a foot and covered with fabric; they slip inside my shoes. The fabric adhesive on the steel insole came loose at one spot on the edge of the heel, after wearing them just a few times. That will definitely be a problem if it continues to loosen, because it becomes sticky. The insoles do seem to help somewhat. They do not alleviate my foot pain completely, but orthofeet do help.

LongTimeMother (author) from Australia on April 24, 2018:

A few years have passed now, Ruth, and I can’t remember if he was taking antibiotics or not. I’m guessing the hospital probably prescribed them after his surgery ... but that doesn’t necessarily mean he took them. We tend to use colloidal silver and other alternatives instead of antibiotics. There is a slight possibility he may have been given antibiotics in the hospital, perhaps by injection, but too much time has passed for me to say for sure. Sorry I can’t be more certain.

Ruth Williams on April 22, 2018:

My question is I've been hesitant to use comfrey on deep wounds because it is so effective. Was your husband on antibiotics while you were treating him with comfrey poultices?

LongTimeMother (author) from Australia on August 30, 2017:

Thanks for sharing your experience, Debra. Yes, it often comes as a surprise to people that traditional herbal remedies can provide genuine relief and healing properties. Those who never try it will never know.

@Tammy, you can certainly try making a poultice or tea from your comfrey root powder. Personally I like to use my fresh comfrey leaves and I leave the roots in the ground (or split them to create new comfrey growth elsewhere in my garden) but I've heard of others who've used the roots.

If you get the chance to plant some comfrey and grow your own plants, I suggest you do it. Even if it isn't ready for your current bone break, it is a very useful plant to have in your garden. And the leaves are huge so you can make as many poultices as you like, unlike the limited amount of root per plant by comparison.

Best wishes for quick healing.

Debra Bunch on August 30, 2017:

I broke a pinky toe. Made tea of comfrey leaf then soaked my foot.

Soaked another leaf then wrapped it up with plastic wrap. Made a huge difference

Tammy Callahan on August 26, 2017:

I broke my foot July 31st. It is referred to as aLis Franc injury. They said non weight baring for 20 weeks. I had surgery Aug. 8th and he used two plates and eleven screws to do a fusion with the three bones in my foot. It was was the Big toe and the two toes next to it. He put me in a splint for two weeks and removed the sutures two weeks later on Monday Aug. 21st. He has me in a cast now and I am applying ice on it even though the cast guy said I wouldn't feel it. I can most definitely feel it. I purchased some comfrey root powder. Can this method be done using the powder? I would like to try it in 2 weeks when he takes the cast off.

LongTimeMother (author) from Australia on July 28, 2017:

I've just noticed other comments I didn't receive notice about when they were posted. So, sorry for the delay in responding.