What Is Comfrey Used for Today?
Comfrey is commonly included in salves and creams that also contain such herbs as aloe, goldenseal, calendula, and vitamin E. Such preparations are marketed for treatment of minor wounds. However, for safety reasons, comfrey should not be applied to broken skin. Therefore, it should not be used for the treatment of lacerations or abrasions (cuts and scrapes). There is some evidence that topical comfrey might be useful in the treatment of various conditions involving pain in the joints or muscles where skin is unbroken. Safety, however, does remain a concern. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 142 people with acute ankle sprain, use of comfrey cream for 8 days significantly enhanced rate of recovery.1 Comfrey proved more effective than placebo in measurements of pain, swelling, and mobility. More modest benefits were seen in another double-blind trial, this one enrolling 203 people with ankle sprain and comparing a high-comfrey to a low-comfrey product.2 Another double-blind
