I recently went to the ER at the local hospital due to a cooking accident. They were unable to stitch my finger and instead used super glue. It actually made sense, but it got me thinking about herbal wound healers. Here are 2 of my favourites.
Comfrey
Gardeners tend to just rip this plant out thinking it’s a weed. It is invasive, but it is also an amazing wound healer.
Comfrey used to be used for coughs and chest problems. This is now illegal in Canada. Most comfrey you will find to purchase will have a not for internal use label on it.
Externally Comfrey is amazing. It is also known as knit bone. If you have a broken bone an application or 2 of comfrey daily can help it mend in far less time than without it.
Comfrey is also an excellent wound healer. There is major controversy on using comfrey on broken skin. Comfrey has pyrolizidine alkaloids which can damage your liver. This is why it is no longer available internally. One of my favourite sources talks about using comfrey for cuts but also cautions not to use it on broken skin.
On the other hand a double blind study on children reported on PubMed states “the results justify application of the Symphytum herb extract cream in children with blunt traumata with or without skin abrasions.”
I used it on my finger and will continue to use it when I need it. I agree that you need to use it cautiously. First of all you need to make sure the wound is very clean. Secondly I would recommend using a natural comfrey product from a reputable source.
The reason I don’t worry too much about using comfrey is that I only ever use it once or twice a day for approximately 2 days. By that time the wound is generally healed enough to stop applying an external treatment.
Coconut Oil
This is a great wound healer for those wishing to avoid the controversy around comfrey.
Coconut oil is antiseptic, anti-bacterial and antibiotic. I use it instead of polysporin. Studies have shown that it is extremely effective against a number of bacteria that can cause wound infection.
In addition to wound healing, coconut oil will diminish scarring and remove age spots and toe fungus.
One study on pubmed supports an anecdote I read in a book by Bruce Fife C.N.,N.D. called The Coconut Oil Miracle. Coconut Oil speeds up wound healing.
There are so many studies being done on this amazing substance that it would be impossible to list them all here. If you would like more information on coconut oil you can check out my blog here.
http://www.rjwhelan.co.nz/herbs%20A-Z/comfreyroot.html
http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/357477
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22549241
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19134433
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20523108
Comfort by Joy 