Summer is a great time to explore the great outdoors. But it’s also the season when you’re more prone to accidents and injury. Check out these all-natural remedies to help you have the best summer ever!
Here’s what we think summer will be like…
Idyllic hikes in the mountains, canoeing down frothy rivers, or sitting by a crackling fire watching the fireflies.
Here’s what actually happens…
You fall during a hike, scraping your elbow or maybe spraining your ankle. Or perhaps you burn your fingers lighting the grill in preparation for that backyard cookout. And then there are all those pesky bug bites! The truth is, more mishaps occur in the summer as people spend more time outside and are often more active. But with those extended daylight hours comes the predisposition to cuts, bruises, scrapes and sprains. Summoning your inner Girl Scout or Boy Scout by having some first aid supplies on hand is a wise idea—and that includes being ready for those minor mishaps in your own backyard!
It’s Not a Kit Without This!
Most summer injuries aren’t severe enough to head to the ER, but they can put a damper on your fun. Along with bandages and an antiseptic, one of the most important items you can add to your first aid kit is a specialized comfrey cream from a plant known as Trauma Comfrey. With a rich history of providing healing throughout the ages, this first aid essential can extinguish inflammation and ignite cellular repair. It’s so valuable that the Trauma Comfrey plant—in the form of a topical cream—also deserves a spot in your backpack, gym bag, purse, and glove compartment.
Comfrey Conundrum
Since ancient times, physicians counted on the comfrey plant to treat a wide array of issues including sprains, fractures, inflammation, gout, and burns. But over time, certain compounds in the herb called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) were found to damage the liver. Modern research shows that this damage can be extensive, even leading to a potentially serious condition called hepatic veno-occlusive disease. Studies show the biggest risk comes from consuming comfrey orally. However, these harmful alkaloids can also be absorbed when the herb is applied topically. Fortunately, a PA-free cultivated comfrey has been developed for topical use that provides all of the benefits with none of the dangerous side effects.
How to Use Comfrey Cream
If you’ve ever experienced a sprain or strain, you likely discovered that there was little modern medicine could do beyond taping the injury and offering over-the-counter pain relievers and maybe a pair of crutches. Sometimes the injury takes weeks or months to heal, leaving you feeling helpless and frustrated. Luckily, a topical cream containing Trauma Comfrey not only relieves pain, it also speeds healing. This unique type of comfrey is grown in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps without genetic modification. It’s effective and safe enough for children over four years old.
What about back pain? When you “tweak” your back, the outcome can be miserable! Studies show that the Trauma Comfrey plant has anti-inflammatory properties that can help ease your suffering. In one double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, 120 patients with upper or lower back pain used either a comfrey cream or a placebo three times a day for three days. On the fourth day, they performed standard exercises for assessing pain intensity. Those using the comfrey cream had an average 95 percent drop in pain. Those in the placebo group, however, experienced a mere 37 percent decrease in pain. The results also showed improvement while at rest, with the comfrey working in as little as an hour.
Another study involving 215 people showed similar results. In this study, the participants using the comfrey cream not only experienced less inflammation, they also reported better pain relief—relief that even outperformed NSAIDs like ibuprofen. But be careful when choosing your comfrey. There are more considerations beyond simply reaching for a PA-free cream.
A Comfrey That Works
Once you’ve found a comfrey cream that is PA-free, the next benchmark is absorption. If you’re considering an ointment made with petroleum, beeswax, or olive oil, you will miss out. These products are similar to many items you may already have in your first aid kit that simply sit on the skin’s surface. Instead, look for a cream specifically formulated to penetrate the skin’s deeper layers. That’s where the herb’s phytochemicals do their healing—conferring their benefits to joints, muscles, and tissues. Choose a cream made with Trauma Comfrey that includes choline, rosmarinic acid, and allantoin from the blossom, stems, and leaves of the plant—not the root which contains the highest concentration of PAs.
Thankfully, summer revolves around much more than summertime injuries, but they do exist. Be prepared for the inevitable minor mishaps with a summertime first aid kit that includes a cream with Trauma Comfrey.
Get Your First Aid Kit Ready!
Peace of mind comes from being ready for anything that comes your way. Follow this list and you’ll be prepared for the months ahead.
General Needs
- Comfrey cream containing PA-free Trauma Comfrey
- Non-latex disposable gloves
- Instant ice packs
- Flashlight
- Emergency space blanket
Prep
- Antiseptic wipes
- Alcohol pads
- Cotton swabs
- Disposable facemask
- First aid instruction card
Bandages
- Butterfly
- Roller-type in 3- and 4- inch widths
- Sterile gauze pads in various sizes plus surgical tape
- Triangular
- Adhesive types in assorted sizes
Tools
- Tweezers
- First aid scissors
- Safety pins