Found worldwide, extracts of leaves and roots of this herbaceous plant have been used for centuries to heal wounds /skin conditions and reduce pain and inflammation - Dioscorides, a 50 A.D. physician, prescribed comfrey for healing wounds and broken bones, traditional Chinese medicine has used comfrey for 2000 years, and comfrey is listed in the Materia Medica of the MIddle Ages;
Comfrey is used medicinally in oils, creams, salves, poultices and teas.
A member of the borage family, its botanical name Symphytum comes from the Greek word symphyo, meaning unite.
• True / Wild / Common Comfrey. Symphytum Officinale - Native to England, extends to most of Europe, Central Asia and Western Siberia
• Prickly or Rough Comfrey. S. asperum Lepechin (a.k.a. S. asperrimum) - bristly/hairy leaves; brought from Russia to Britain ~1800
• Russian, Blue or Quaker Comfrey. S. x uplandicum Nyman (a.k.a. S. peregrinum) - natural hybrid of S. officinale L. and S. asperum Lepechin originating in Russia. Henry Doubleday, a British researcher and a quaker, promoted use of this hybrid comfrey for food and forage. He shipped cuttings to Canada in 1954. The majority of comfrey grown in the U.S.
This because comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). PAs include symphytine, echimidine, symglandine and lycopsamine; when taken orally in excessive amounts, PA's can cause sinusoidal obstruction syndrome and severe liver injury. Oral forms include herbal teas, capsules and root powders. There is major controversy over the real risk of consuming a moderate amount of comfrey.
Chronic low-level inflammation (CLII) involved in almost all health problems
"The medical kit of the future"
General electrotherapy health benefits. Used systemically and/or locally at specific problem areas of the body, its effective application has many benefits:
Detoxification | Wellness / Healthy aging | Pain relief |
Relief from insomnia | Immune system restoral | Anti-Inflammatory |
Maximizes cellular energy production | Accelerated tissue /bone /scar healing |
Stress Reduction |
Muscle relaxation / rehabilitation | Increased blood oxygen / circulation |
+++ |
There are several reasonably affordable electrotherapy devices available for personal use. The following electrotherapies are those that have received a significant amount of positive feedback:
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy |
Beck Protocol |
Rife therapy |
Ozone therapy |
Near Infrared (NIR) class 4 laser therapy |
Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) applies specific frequency patterns to the head area, with the following benefits:
Balances neurotransmitters | Relieves pain | Treats depression |
Substance abuse withdrawal | Relieves insomnia | Relieve stress / anxiety |
Anti-Inflammatory | Fibromyalgia | +++ |