Symphytum officinale is commonly called Knitbone, due to its ability to heal broken bones, Symphytum means “to unite”. Officinale was a name given by Linnaeus to plants whose medicinal use had been well established. Comfrey leaves and roots contain ‘allantoin’ which causes skin cells to grow whilst reducing inflammation. Comfrey ointments are fantastic for bruises, pulled muscles, fractures, sprains, osteoarthritis. In a study involving 220 patients, for the primary criterion of pain relief, 54.7% had a decline in pain, compared to 10.7% in the placebo group. A word of caution, however, should be made, Comfrey and Borage contain high levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids , these can be harmful to the liver in high doses. So avoid drinking this infusion if you have a compromised liver, cancer, or alcoholism. I would refrain from drinking large quantities of Comfrey tea, even though it has been drunk for generations, as Paracelsus said, “everything is poison; it’s the dose that makes the medicine.”
It goes without saying that if you're pregnant (or are under the doc for anything) caution should be exercised with herbal decoctions.
