- This topic has 12 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 3 months ago by .
-
Posts
-
-
Yia’Yia’
How often would you change a comfrey poultice applied to a skin graph after skin cancer was removed? I was surprised to find it quite gummy after 24 hours and was concerned I’d have to disturb the sutures getting it off to apply more!
I was inspired after watching Doc’s video on comfrey and the poultice applied to the lady’s head after a tumor was removed!4 users thanked author for this post.
-
Dr. Patrick Jones
For a poultice u usually do 12 hours on and 12 hours off. But honestly, I almost never poultice anything anymore. The Poultice tincture works as well or better and is way less work and mess. If it’s an open wound I dilute that 1 tsp to 2-4 oz water so the alcohol doesn’t sting. If it’s a closed wound I use it straight. . The shelf life once the water is added is 2-3 days.
Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.
5 users thanked author for this post.
-
Natalie Stamenov
Can I simply cut off the leaves of my comfrey plant that is growing in a bucket currently and ground it up and put it in some vodka to steep to make a tincture? Does this comfrey still have the medicinal benefits growing in the bucket as the comfrey growing in the ground does? Also can I simply put a comfrey leaf on an area with arthritis or strained joint/ligament and would I need to find a way to keep that leaf on the area for 12 hrs to gain the healing benefits?
Health is a lifetime study ~Natalie
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Hi Natalie,
Have a look at the Herbal Medicine Making section on tincturing. There is a lot of info on how I do it. :0)
I almost always dry herbs before tincturing them. Some fresh plants have enough water content that it dilutes the alcohol too much to be preservative.
Comfrey can be used topically…the ground fresh leaf or dry powder mixed with water. The tea or tincture could also be used (and would be less messy). You can see how I do topical stuff in the wound care lessons and the medicine making lesson on poulticing.
The medicinal benefits of herbs grown in a pot are likely similar to those grown in the ground. If I had a choice, I’d use stuff grown in the ground but if all I had was stuff grown in a pot, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it.
It really depends on the plant. Some plants have much stronger medicine depending on where they’re growing. Yellow dock, for example, isn’t worth a hoot if it’s growing in water, the roots will be white and have very little medicine in them. Ten feet up the gravelly bank, where they have to work for a living, the roots will be rich, dark yellow and much more medicinal. Plants that are struggling a bit and dealing with life’s trials, accumulate more medicine and other resources than plants that have no challenges. I wouldn’t grow medicinal plants in a hydroponic system and expect them to be as strong as plants that were dealing with wind and rain and dry spells and pests etc…
Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.
6 users thanked author for this post.
-
SharonB
Comfrey is one of my favorites. I carry a salve of it with me all the time. I read that comfrey should not be used where there is cancer because it will result in increased cell division. How do you know when it is safe to use comfrey after cancer? Does it cause problems when it is used where there is an infection? For instance, on a cold sore after the worst is cleared up.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
It doesn’t cause problems after infection. Just don’t put it on a puncture wound or it will close up prematurely and cause an abscess.
I don’t recommend it in cancer cases. If a skin cancer is surgically removed with good margins, I wouldn’t worry about using it to heal things up.
Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
-
GCubed
Is the comfrey tincture too thick to go through a spray top?
-
I haven’t used it in a spray, so I don’t know. I’ve used it mostly as a salve or as a poultice.
-
Thanks. Sorry. I meant to reply on Doc’s post.
-
-
I’m sure it would. I always use the Poultice tincture so can’t say with certainty, but I think straight comfrey tincture would go through a spray nozzle alright.
Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
Very good! Thanks for clarification.
The dermatologist removed the graph so it’s a bit raw underneath. I was amazed at how quickly and beautifully the area around the graph healed though. My dad heals slowly at 89 so he’s been my Guinea Pig to try herbal remedies and observe what happens! He’s a good sport!2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Stephanie Grygla
Hey there, I have a salve that was given to me by a friend who attends the school as well, and inspired me to enroll. This salve contains comfrey, cayenne, plantain, and echinacea. I had some spots on my face appear that look very similar to previous basal cell carcinoma‘s I have had in the last couple years. I ended up using the salve just to try it and see what happened. After a couple weeks, the suspicious spots were completely gone. I have continued to use this salve on my face almost daily, and just went to my dermatologist. I was blown away that there were no spots that needed to be frozen off or biopsied. This is quite unusual for a redhead who has been attacked by the scalpel far too often in previous visits. I’m just curious if I should continue using this salve on spots that look cancerous, or if I should stop… I have never heard that comfrey can help cells divide, and they you shouldn’t use them on cancer. I am brand new here, so I haven’t done much research yet. What are your recommendations?
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Sharon
A question I always have rolling around in the back of my noggin is about cancer and comfrey. If one isn’t actively sick and hasn’t gone to have tests to “find” cancer (since we all have cancer cells all the time, and generally don’t know it till they’ve gone insane and you have had to be tested to find out), how would a person even know if they have cancer and should NOT use comfrey? Otherwise, you’d assume you don’t have cancer, use comfrey, and perhaps never know that you created a problem. Inquiring minds ask lots of insane questions…
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.