*Note: Please see this discussion of what is meant by “herbal-cure.”
I covered several ways for healing bruises in the last post. This post is about healing sprains and much of the information for healing bruises applies here too.
But there is an even more wonderful remedy for sprains, bruises and even broken bones — it’s comfrey root, which the old timers colorfully (and accurately) called knitbone. Comfrey has the highest mucilage content of any herb (marshmallow comes very close though), and is wonderful for many musculoskeletal problems as well as skin (because of its high allantoin content). It is, in herbspeak, a vulnerary, which means it actually promotes cell growth. It’s real messy to work with, but worth it when you need its healing power.
Here’s how to use it for sprains, bruises, broken bones and so forth:
Buy a small quantity of powdered comfrey root to keep on hand. When the need arises, simmer (no hard boiling) a rounded tablespoonful in a quart of water, in a non-reactive pan (again, glass or stainless steel) with a lid for about 30 minutes.
Allow it to cool just enough to get your hands into it, and then submerge a small towel, washcloth, or other natural fiber cloth large enough (but not too large) to cover the affected area. Wring it out, apply to the site, cover completely with saran wrap or other moisture barrier, then a clean, dry towel, then a heating pad.
You want to keep the wet compress warm enough to be comfortable (cold and wet is yucky!!), and the heat also helps the herbal goodness penetrate into the tissue. When it gets too warm, turn the heating pad off and allow to cool. When it starts to get uncomfortably cool, turn it back on. After a while (you’ll know when), take everything off for a while. Then later, warm the comfrey liquid up and start all over again.
Using comfrey compresses in this exact way just three times in one day completely eliminated my husband’s bad knee sprain. The following day he woke up with absolutely no pain or discomfort, no bruising or discoloration, no swelling, and normal range of motion. It was my first “herbal cure,” and after that experience, which I thought either miracle or magic, I was totally hooked on herbs.
Unlike the other remedies, comfrey compresses can be applied to broken skin and in fact would be quite soothing with its mild analgesic properties, and because it’s a vulnerary also accelerates healing.
