Symptom → Plant Sources
Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) as a tool for helping with Back pain
inferred from analgesic action
Comfrey has a centuries-old tradition as a medicinal plant. Today, multiple randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of comfrey preparations for the topical treatment of pain, inflammation and swelling of muscles and joints in degenerative arthritis, acute myalgia in the back, sprains, contusions and strains after sports injuries and accidents, also in children aged 3 or 4 and over. This paper provides information on clinical trials and non-interventional studies published on comfrey to date and further literature, substantiating the fact that topical comfrey preparations are a valuable therapy option for the treatment of painful muscle and joint complaints.
3 sources supporting Common Comfrey for Back pain. Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's analgesic (pain relief) action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
A critical scoping review of the external (topical) uses of comfrey (Symphytum spp.) summarised the clinical evidence for comfrey preparations in pain, inflammation and musculoskeletal complaints such as sprains, bruises and osteoarthritis.
Beyond its toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, comfrey (Symphytum officinale) root was shown to contain salvianolic acids and other antioxidant polyphenols, supporting the analgesic and anti-inflammatory benefits attributed to comfrey root preparations.