Plants that grow everywhere, are common and accessible, very often turn out to be useful medicinal raw materials. Some of them are recognized by official medicine, others are not recognized; they are used in homeopathy and traditional medicine. One of these plants is larkspur or comfrey.
The healing power of the plant has been known for a long time. Currently, the attitude of official medicine in many countries towards comfrey is ambiguous. Preparations from it are used mainly externally - ointments of comfrey and chestnut and comfrey and oleoresin are commercially available, so comfrey tincture is a remedy whose internal use is controversial. Of all the plant species, comfrey is the most commonly used plant.
Properties
Regular use of comfrey tincture allows you to stimulate the regeneration of cartilage and bone cells. In addition, the product has an antiviral and immunostimulating effect. The use of tincture allows you to quickly eliminate the disease and restore normal functioning of the body.
In accordance with the instructions, comfrey tincture is used mainly for the treatment of joint and bone diseases. Indications for use include:
- fractures;
- dislocations;
- inflammation;
- periosteum;
- osteomyelitis;
- bone tuberculosis;
- osteoporosis;
- rheumatism;
- sciatica;
- osteochondrosis;
- gout;
- arthritis.
Benefits and possible harm of the product
The tincture has a whole range of useful characteristics, which makes it one of the most effective means in the treatment of pathologies of the skeletal and muscular systems. Healing properties include:
- anti-inflammatory;
- painkillers;
- decongestants;
- bactericidal;
- healing and restorative.
In addition, larkspur tincture activates the metabolic processes of cartilage and bone tissue.
The product helps heal broken bones and torn ligaments and muscle fibers. The tincture is actively used for the healing and regeneration of damaged bone, muscle, and epithelial tissues, activates metabolic processes, relieves inflammation and pain.
Indications for use of the product
Larkspur root tincture is recommended for use in the following cases:
- Pain of varying intensity, localized in the joints, spine (various areas).
- Disorders, degenerative processes in cartilage and bone tissues.
- Trauma – bruises, closed fractures, sprains. The tincture effectively helps regardless of the strength and nature of the injury (sports, industrial, household).
- Inflammation and compression of the sciatic, spinal nerve.
- Skin lesions - cracks, erosions and ulcers, ulcers, including long-term non-healing ones.
The product will be a real salvation for diseases:
- Injuries to joints, muscles, bones;
- Osteochondrosis;
- Radiculitis;
- Arthritis, arthrosis, acute rheumatic fever;
- Sciatica, lumbago;
- Myalgia;
- Skin lesions: ulcers, wounds, dermatitis, eczema.
Possible harm
The bioactive substances in the tincture can cause harm if used carelessly and contraindications for use are ignored. The tincture is prohibited in the following cases:
- Individual sensitivity to the components of the drug;
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- Children's age up to 12 years.
Side effects are rare, but some caution should be exercised when using the product:
- Initially, you need to test for allergies. You need to lubricate a small area with the tincture and wait 5-10 minutes. If redness, itching, and rashes do not appear during this time, the medicine can be used. But if you notice allergic manifestations, you need to wash your skin and no longer apply the product. Unfortunately, it doesn't suit you.
- In addition, when using compresses and lotions, you do not need to keep them longer than the recommended time, much less leave them overnight . This will not only not bring the expected benefits, but can also cause severe irritation of the skin. Do not forget that the plant is toxic.
Preparation
To make your own comfrey tincture, you will need to purchase it at a pharmacy or prepare dry medicinal raw materials. The plant is harvested in early spring or late autumn, when the roots are saturated with the maximum amount of biologically active substances.
As a rule, raw materials are used to prepare the tincture, which are infused with medical alcohol or vodka. In some cases, moonshine is used. The most common are the recipes described below.
- Comfrey tincture with vodka. Most often, the product prepared with vodka is taken orally. It has a regenerating, restorative, anti-inflammatory effect and effectively restores the functionality of the musculoskeletal system. To prepare the product you will need 100 grams of comfrey roots and half a liter of vodka. Comfrey roots should be washed and crushed using a blender, pour vodka over them, and mix well. The product should be infused at a temperature of maximum 20 degrees, in a dark room for 10 days. When the product is ready, filter it using gauze. Then the medicinal raw material is squeezed out. It should be taken three times a day, 10 drops. As a result, inflammation is relieved and regeneration of cartilage and bones is stimulated.
- Comfrey tincture with alcohol. Before making such a product, you should reduce the alcohol strength. For this purpose, medical alcohol is diluted with distilled water. From the original 95% ethanol you can get a drink with a strength of 60%. To do this, you need to use 68 ml of water for every 100 ml of alcohol. To make the tincture you will need 100 grams of comfrey roots, 300 ml of alcohol, 204 ml of water. Medicinal raw materials should be washed, cut into small pieces, placed in a glass container, and filled with pre-diluted ethanol. It is necessary to ensure that the liquid completely covers the roots of the plant. The container is covered with polyethylene and placed in a cool, dark place. The tincture is infused for 21 days. Once it is ready, it should be filtered. You need to take the healing drink three or four times a day, 30 drops, between meals. As a result, the regeneration of cartilage and bone cells is stimulated, pain is eliminated, and the severity of the inflammatory process is reduced.
Medicinal properties of the plant and for what diseases it is used
The healing effects of this plant are determined by the content of sugar, resin, mucus, bitterness, tannins and choline. These biological anti-inflammatory active substances are used to strengthen muscle mass, tissue regeneration and bone repair.
In folk medicine, the most commonly used root is larkspur, which is used for many diseases:
- fractures and dislocations;
- gout;
- bone tuberculosis;
- violation of the integrity of the skin;
- osteomyelitis;
- inflammation of the periosteum;
- Chronical bronchitis;
- diseases of the intestines and stomach;
- severe pain syndrome due to cancer;
- rheumatism;
- arthritis.
Rules of application
Before using comfrey tincture, you should consult a specialist. The product contains toxic substances, so it is extremely important to adhere to the recommendations for the duration of therapy and dosages used.
As a rule, self-therapy using comfrey tincture begins with 20 drops per dose. If the patient does not experience allergic reactions, the dosage begins to be gradually increased. A maximum of 50 drops per single dose is allowed.
The tincture should be taken 30 minutes before meals. Immediately before use, the product should be diluted with boiled water in an amount of 100 ml. The duration of therapy is usually 1–3 months. It all depends on the severity of the pathology. If necessary, after 4 weeks the therapeutic course can be repeated.
Who is contraindicated for larkspur?
It should be remembered that the plant is not always capable of bringing benefit; in some situations, on the contrary, it can cause harm. Pregnant women, people susceptible to allergic reactions, hypotension and myasthenia should avoid using larkspur recipes. The plant, if taken uncontrolled, can become toxic to the body, as it contains toxic compounds. In case of larkspur poisoning, nausea, vomiting, weakness and dizziness occur. If such symptoms occur, you should immediately rinse your stomach with plenty of water and seek medical help.
When traditional medicine is unable to cure a patient, people turn to traditional recipes for help, and in some cases they are able to improve the patient’s condition. But it should be remembered that you should not rely only on alternative methods of treatment; they can only be used with the consent of the doctor, since refusal of traditional therapy can lead to irreversible consequences. And of course, everything is good in moderation; when preparing this or that tincture, always adhere to the recommended doses.
Comfrey tincture for joints
Often in folk medicine the remedy is used to treat joint diseases. In this case, the remedy should be taken orally and also used externally to enhance the therapeutic effect. In addition, the tincture can be added to ready-made creams, or you can prepare ointments using it yourself. To prepare a medicinal ointment, you will need a tincture made according to one of the given recipes, in an amount of 50 ml, as well as 250 grams of petroleum jelly.
Vaseline should be melted in a water bath, add pre-filtered tincture to it, mix until a homogeneous mass is obtained. After this, the product is removed from the heat, poured into a clean glass container, covered with a lid, and placed in the refrigerator. The ointment should be infused for three days.
The resulting product must be rubbed into the affected joint two or three times a day. The duration of therapy is 1 month.
Using an ointment prepared from comfrey tincture allows you to warm up the sore spot, relieve inflammation, and normalize the functionality of the musculoskeletal system.
Comfrey or larkspur from a botanical point of view
Comfrey is a forest plant, belongs to herbaceous perennials from the genus Comfrey, the Borage family. The plant is very widespread. On the Eurasian continent it grows everywhere, with the exception of the northern Arctic regions. Habitats include forest streams, peat bogs, and bushes.
The plant is up to 0.9 m in height, the stems and leaves are quite hard, covered with hairs. Protruding veins are clearly visible on the underside of the leaf blade. The flowers are small, elongated, tubular-bell-shaped. Light lilac or light purple.
Use for fractures
For fractures, it is used due to the fact that it can accelerate regeneration processes and stimulate the growth of bone tissue. It is important to be systematic in its use; the therapeutic course should not be interrupted. Only in this case can a pronounced result be achieved.
To prepare the tincture, you will need 250 ml of vodka and 50 grams of comfrey roots. It is necessary to grind the dry raw materials using a coffee grinder or blender, pour it into a glass container, add vodka. Infuse for at least 20 days under a closed lid. After the product is ready, it is filtered using multi-layer gauze.
The product should be taken a maximum of 4 times a day, 30–40 drops. The tincture should be washed down with water. To achieve a comprehensive effect, you can make lotions with it several times a week.
The result is an anti-inflammatory, analgesic effect. Regular use of the product allows you to stimulate cellular regeneration and restore cartilage and bone tissue.
Where else is comfrey alcohol tincture used?
Homemade larkspur tincture recipe
To ensure maximum therapeutic effect, it is important to know how to make larkspur tincture for joints, bones, and skin damage. There are several simple recipes with which you can prepare a healing tincture with your own hands.
With alcohol and vodka
You will need:
- Dry, crushed comfrey rhizome (100 g);
- Vodka, alcohol (0.5 liters).
Mix the ingredients and leave the healing liquid to infuse in the dark and cool. If you take 40% vodka or alcohol, the product is infused for 2 weeks. If 95% alcohol is used, the medicine is “cooked” for 7 days.
The finished tincture is used for medicinal compresses and applications for pain in joints and bones. To treat skin damage, the drug must be diluted with warm water in a ratio of 1 to 1.
On moonshine
To prepare the product, you need crushed larkspur root, which needs to be poured with strong homemade moonshine (volume - 0.5 l). The medicine should sit for a week in a warm and dark place. The liquid must be shaken vigorously several times a day. The finished medicine is also used for compresses and rubbing for damage to joints, bones, and muscles . The medicine diluted with water (1 to 1) is used to treat eczema, dermatitis, and wounds.
With honey
For this tincture you will need crushed larkspur rhizome and honey (50g in equal parts). The plant components are mixed and poured with vodka (half a liter). The medicine is infused in the dark and cool for 2 weeks. The product is used for medicinal lotions and applications. After using a compress with honey tincture, the skin should be washed.
Use for the treatment of intervertebral hernia
The use of tincture for the treatment of intervertebral hernia involves the application of compresses. To enhance the therapeutic effect, the product for external use is combined with oral administration of the tincture.
To prepare it you will need the following ingredients: 272 ml of water, 400 ml of alcohol, 150 grams of comfrey roots.
The root is ground to a powder using a coffee grinder. It is poured into a darkened glass container and filled with pre-diluted alcohol. Close the bottle tightly with a lid and put it in a dark, cool place. The mixture should be shaken daily. After the product has infused, it is filtered.
Multi-layer gauze is moistened in the resulting medicinal liquid. Squeeze out excess liquid. Apply a compress to the affected area. The top must be covered with polyethylene and insulated with woolen fabric. The duration of the procedure is half an hour, and the average duration of therapy is a month.
Compresses based on comfrey tincture allow you to restore tissue between the vertebrae, eliminate pain, and restore motor activity.
Description of the medicinal plant
Larkspur has a lot of healing benefits, and a tincture prepared from this plant helps with many diseases and disorders.
This grass is perennial; more than 450 species of larkspur are known in nature, growing in different areas.
Only about 100 species grow in Russia, and it is worth noting that many of them are poisonous, and careless use can pose a threat to human health and life.
In its appearance, this plant can boast of the extraordinary beauty of its herbaceous flora. Its stem is straight, reaching a height of up to 70 cm and covered with hairs that bloom closer to the top of the stem.
The flowers of the plant are formed in complex inflorescences with a large number of stamens, and the color range of the flower can vary from pale blue to pinkish.
How to harvest comfrey root yourself
If you decide to prepare the tincture yourself, then you need to collect the components. It is important to do this correctly to have a healing effect. Here are instructions on how to do it correctly:
- Comfrey root is harvested in the spring, until the plant begins to bloom. Or you can start harvesting in late autumn, before severe cold, but when time has passed, the comfrey has completely faded.
- The root must be carefully dug up, removed from dirt, and small lateral rhizomes must be cut off.
- You can rinse lightly with water to get rid of dirt, but then wipe it well with a towel.
- Next, you need to cut the root lengthwise and lay it out to dry. To do this you need to use baking paper. The place for drying should be well ventilated, the temperature should be no more than 22C, the sun's rays should not enter, as should moisture.
- After 3-4 days of such drying, the root can be used.
It is worth noting that comfrey root is a poisonous component, so we strongly do not recommend preparing it yourself, making tinctures or using them for medicinal purposes. You may make the wrong dosage and harm yourself. It is better to take the remedy from a herbalist who has been practicing this craft for many years. You can buy comfrey root, both in prepared form and prepared as a tincture, on our website.
Contraindications
It is worth noting that comfrey root tincture is poisonous, so an overdose is possible. In addition, it has contraindications. It cannot be used for:
- Pregnancy
- During breastfeeding
- Individual intolerance to the component
In all other cases, a doctor's recommendation is needed. In addition, if you feel symptoms of poisoning, dizziness, vomiting, headaches and other negative symptoms, you should immediately stop using the drug and consult a doctor.
However, if you use the drug correctly, it will bring great benefits and help you get rid of many diseases.
