Last Updated on December 4, 2023 by Cathy
Several weeks ago I fell and broke my collarbone. Falling and getting hurt is one of my biggest fears when living with multiple sclerosis (MS). There have been times when fear was overwhelming. It becomes paralyzing making it fearful to take a step. Thinking about it, I can still feel the fear.
As a person living with MS, my balance isn’t as good as it once was. Plus, the fact that I’m getting older doesn’t help either (hee, hee). I live in a household with an indoor cat and dog and two outdoor cats as mousers. We live in a rural area with more mice and ground squirrels than people.
Our pets love being around us and follow us everywhere we go. The outdoor cats even come out to greet us when we are pulling into our driveway.
Having MS, I always worried about tripping over one of our pets. I don’t know why but they like sneaking up behind me and then lying down. Do all pets do this? Or are mine trying to trip me?
Off to the Emergency Room
I’ve tripped over my pets before but was always able to catch my balance. Unfortunately, not this time. I tried catching my balance but down I went. Right on top of my dog, he turned yelping and my face smacked into his very HARD head then hit the floor landing on my shoulder.
I felt like I got punched in the face. There was blood pouring out of my mouth. At first, I thought I lost a tooth but it turned out to be my lip. It split open, so off to the emergency room we went. As the doctor was stitching up my lip he asked if I hurt anywhere else.
I told him my shoulder was sore so they took a few x-rays. It turns out I broke my collarbone, the technical term was “distal clavicle fracture.” I’ve broken my elbow before and could barely move from the pain. This time the pain was nothing like before so I thought it was sore from landing on it. I left the hospital looking like I was in a fistfight. I had five stitches on my lip, a bruised face, and my arm in a sling.
A few days later as I was listening to the orthopedic surgeon explaining how I needed surgery. Not one surgery but two surgeries. One surgery was to insert the metal and wires and a second surgery was to remove it. I told the doctor I needed time to think about it. He gave me until my next appointment which was two weeks later. That was two weeks to try and heal without surgery so I was going to use holistic healing first.
Fortunately, I had one of my Facebook followers suggest comfrey. I’d never heard of it before so I started doing lots of research.
What is the Herb Comfrey Used For?
I researched online and discovered comfrey has many various benefits. People have used it as an herbal medicine for centuries. It’s typically used for muscle and joint pain such as back pain. Comfrey has the ability to heal many ailments such as:
- Arthritis
- Bruises
- Gout
- Inflammation
- Mend broken bones
- Muscle pain
- Sprains and strains
Possible Side Effects of Comfrey
The use of comfrey goes back for thousands of years. As a poultice, ointment, and as a tea but recently the FDA decided that comfrey may be a carcinogen when used orally. Comfrey does contain trace amounts of a compound called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). PA is a defense mechanism plants produce as a protection to keep insects from eating it.
Researchers focused on feeding huge amounts of comfrey extract to rats. Which eventually damaged their livers. Regulators in many countries banned all comfrey products for internal use. Although some researchers insist comfrey is safe for internal use when it’s not used in high doses or for long periods of time.
It is best to avoid comfrey internally. Especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or already have liver damage. Consult your doctor first if you’re on any medications.
Bone Healer
Comfrey, also known as knit-bone can help heal broken bones faster. Don’t use comfrey on deep wounds or lacerations. Because it could heal the top layer of the skin before the bottom layer has a chance to heal. This could result in an infection.
Since I was trying to avoid surgery and wanted to use holistic healing instead. I ordered some dried comfrey leaves through Amazon. I also increased my vegetable intake, took 10,000 IUs of vitamin D, and 2,000 mg of vitamin C.
How to Make a Comfrey Poultice
Making a comfrey poultice is pretty easy. The only problem is it’s very messy! Also, you may need someone to help you secure it onto the injured area like your shoulder.
You can use fresh leaves from your garden or purchase dried comfrey leaves at your local health store. Scoop enough out into a bowl that will cover your injured area up to an inch thick. Mine was a small area so I didn’t need that much comfrey.
Pour just enough boiling water to make a paste, and stir until moistened. Let it sit until it has a chance to cool. Get a piece of cheesecloth, cotton rag, muslin, or gauze to cover the comfrey, I used gauze. Meanwhile, cut a piece of plastic wrap slightly bigger than the gauze. The plastic wrap will cover the entire poultice keeping it from leaking onto your clothes.
Drain any excess water place it on top of the gauze and tape it with medical tape. Since I was by myself and it was in a hard-to-reach spot, I added the comfrey to the gauze first. Then leaning over the sink I placed the poultice onto my shoulder and added extra medical tape to keep it from falling apart. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes, I left mine on for a few hours each day.
You could also freeze the poultice first before applying it. When it’s frozen you can use it as a cold pack to help reduce swelling and inflammation. I didn’t try this option since I hate being cold.
Does Comfrey Work for Bone Healing?
The answer is Yes! When I went back after two weeks my doctor was very impressed with my x-ray. The picture above is the x-ray after two weeks, the break is getting cloudy which means it’s starting to fill in and heal.
My doctor said my collarbone was healing really well and I wouldn’t need surgery. He asked if I could lift my arm over my head which I did. And that’s after two weeks! I was even impressed and continued the poultice and on my next appointment, five weeks after I fell, my x-ray showed it was still healing. I avoided surgery and didn’t need to go back to see the doctor!
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How to Use a Comfrey Poultice to Heal a Broken Bone
