Comfrey Cream: Coupling Age-Old Wisdom With Leading-Edge Science

In your practice, you most likely get your share of patients with sprains, strains and abrasions. Finding a good topical cream for relief might seem like a challenge. But the fact is, there's a surprisingly effective answer – comfrey cream.

To anyone familiar with herbal medicine, comfrey has had an "on again, off again" relationship as a healing plant. That's because, as traditionally valuable as comfrey was considered to be, it was also discovered that the roots contain compounds – pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) – that could be toxic to the liver. So, as something used internally, comfrey was off limits. Doubts lingered about its safety as a topical, too, because it could absorb so well.

But now that has changed, thanks to an incredible advance in comfrey cultivation and development. The comfrey cream I recommend in my practice is made with a specialized comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum NYMAN) cultivated to be free of PA content, and utilizing only the juice from the flowers, stems and leaves. This makes it doubly safe, in that in standard comfrey, the PAs are concentrated in the roots. And this comfrey cream has been incredibly well-tested.

Research-Supported Benefits

Aside from soothing muscle soreness, it treats injuries of all kinds, including; open wounds^1-2 (in one case, reducing pain and cutting healing time in half)1, muscle pain,^3-4 and knee and ankle sprains and strains.^5-8

In a controlled, double-blind, randomized, multi-center study of acute ankle sprain and pain, patients suffering from acute ankle sprain and pain saw a reduction of pain by half – in just three days.⁷ In another study, individuals with bruised and sprained knees were treated with this specialized comfrey cream 12 hours after injury. Intensive treatment and wrapping with gauze continued for four days. By that point, pain and swelling had dropped considerably. By day seven, no patients had any knee pain while at rest. Most were completely pain free by day 10. All were pain free by day 14.⁸

None of the patients noted any reddening, itching or dry skin. The quick drop in pain levels allowed the patients greater flexibility in their knees, so it also diminished the possibility of further muscle damage due to improper gait or immobility.⁸

Not Just for Adults

This comfrey cream is perfect for even the youngest patients, including active kids ages 3 and up who just can't seem to avoid getting a bruise or a scraped knee when they're out playing with friends. In a German study, 386 children as young as 3 and as old as 12 who had suffered bruises, sprains, strains and muscle pain while playing sports were treated with the topical; it was 90 percent effective and more importantly, there were no reactions or adverse effects.⁹

In another study, 108 children between the ages 3 to 12 were treated for abrasions with the comfrey cream. In two to three days, physicians' assessments noted a 90 percent efficacy. Like other studies, there were no adverse reactions. Again, because this comfrey cream is PA-free, it can be directly applied to abrasions and open wounds.¹⁰

Take-home Points

As part of an integrative regimen, having this topical on hand can be incredibly valuable for any practice. It sums up what's best about natural medicine: using age-old wisdom coupled with leading-edge science for real-world results. It heals abrasions, relieves aches and pains of muscles and ligaments caused by sprains and strains, and reduces swelling as effectively as prescription medications – but without added complications or risks.¹¹

References

1. Barna M, Kucera A, Hladicova M, et al. [Wound healing effects of a Symphytum herb extract cream (Symphytum x uplandicum NYMAN): results of a randomized, controlled double-blind study.] Wien Med Wochenschr, 2007;157:569-574.
2. Niedner R. Effect of an active substance complex from Symphytum on epithelialization. Acta Therapeutica, 1989;15:289-297.
3. Kucera M, Kalal J, Polesna Z. Effects of Symphytum ointment on muscular symptoms and functional locomotor disturbances. Adv Ther, 2000;17:204-210.
4. Kucera M, Barna M, et al. Topical Symphytum herb concentrate cream against myalgia. Adv Ther, 2005;22:681-692.
5. Hess H. Effect of a Symphytum ointment with sports injuries of the knee koint. German J Sports Med, 1991;42:156-162.
6. Mayer G. The Local treatment of acute lateral distortions of the ankle joint with an ointment containing Symphytum active substance complex. Acta Therapeutica, 1991 April;17:89-100.
7. Kucera M, Barna M, Horacek O, et al. Efficacy and safety of topically applied Symphytum herb extract cream in the treatment of ankle distortion: results of a randomized controlled clinical double blind study.]Wien MedWochenschr, 2004;154:498-507.
8. Mayer G. [The local treatment of contusions and distortions of the knee joint with a Symphytum active substance complex ointment.] Erfahrungsheilkunde, 1992;12:888-891.
9. Kucera A, Barna M, Holcova S, et al. Tolerability and effectiveness of an antitrauma cream with comfrey herb extract in pediatric use with application on intact and on broken skin. Int J Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2018;5(4):135-141.
10. Barna M, Kucera A, et al. Randomized double-blind study: wound-healing effects of a Symphytum herb extract cream in children. Arzneimittelforschung Drug Research, 2012; 62:285-289.
11. D'Anchise R, Bulitta M, Giannetti B. Comfrey extract ointment in comparison to diclofenac gel in the treatment of acute unilateral ankle sprains (distortions). Arzneimittelforschung, 2007;57(11):712-6.