Understanding Comfrey: An e-class
Roots & Leaves, Safety, Internal & External Uses, Recipes & Techniques.
About Comfrey
♥ Comfrey is a traditional herbal remedy also known as ‘bone-knit’ because of its reputation for helping to heal broken bones.
♥ It can be used as a herbal treatment on minor injuries, as a skin healing ingredient on on minor cuts or in natural skincare, it has been used as a healing herbal medicines taken internally too and some sources recommend it as a wild food.
♥ It is a great herb to learn about because it has many practical uses but we need to know how to use it properly (we don’t to do the wrong thing or make injuries worse!).
♥ Easing Sprains & Strains: Vivienne loves using Comfrey to help to ease minor injuries and to help to recover from more serious ones (e.g. healing and strengthening minor broken bones e.g. toes, ribs etc.).
♥ In this class she will share her favourite DIY remedies suitable for home-use as well as sharing some of her experience of working with it for years in her herbal medicine clinic.
♥ Is it safe? Is it Legal? Do an online search about Comfrey and this will yield pages of warnings about the medicinal herb. This can be very scary and put people off using any ingredient made from it.
♥ Myths & fear abound: it’s time to dispel them and learn about this plant properly. So when is it safe? Why might it not be safe sometimes? How should it be used? When is it not legal to use? We will learn how to work with Comfrey safety, effectively and legally.
♥ Should we use the leaf or root? Again, even this basic question can yield strongly conflicting results. Vivienne will provide clear information in this class to help you select what would be the most suitable for your purpose.
♥ Properly understand Comfrey: Its uses, applications, differences between the extracts that can be made from it, when to use which extract, when precautions need to be heeded (and when they don’t apply), safety issues, its benefits and key therapeutic actions etc.
♥ Includes details about the key uses and differences between medicines & remedies made from it: tinctures, water extracts, infused oil, balms, creams poultices, compresses etc.
Whether you grow your own Comfrey or buy Comfrey products from shops/suppliers, you do not want to miss this class.
What’s included in this e-class?
Learn about taking Comfrey remedies internally…
♥ What is legal? What is permitted? What is safe? Can I do this?
♥ Should I use the leaf or root?
♥ What are the differences between remedies made from the leaf and the root? Is this important?
♥ Understanding scientific research: Where do safety warnings about comfrey come from? Are these studies relevant to people and how we use comfrey?
♥ How does Comfrey have a medicinal effect? What is known about how it heals tissues and bones?
♥ Medical conditions & comfrey: An overview of the medical conditions that comfrey extracts have been used for. A look at home-use as well as mention of professional uses in herbal medicine clinics.
Applying Comfrey Extracts:
♥ Infused oils, massage treatments, balms & creams: when are these useful? What can they help?
♥ Comfrey Poultices: Methods for making an easy & effective poultice with comfrey (using the fresh plant from your garden or the dried herb that you buy: they can both work really well!). This is one of Vivienne’s favourite treatments to help to ease sprains, strains, sore shoulders, some fractures and breaks in the bone: Vivienne will share her experience of using these extracts and treatments in her clinic.
♥ Safety of Topical Extracts: Are there any precautions and safety issues when applying Comfrey via the skin?
♥ In Aromatherapy: Are there safety issues that apply? Can I use Comfrey oil if my client has a liver condition or is on pharmaceutical medication?
♥ In skincare: Are comfrey extracts safe to use in my natural cosmetics? Can pregnant women still use them if I include this ingredient?
♥ Ointment vs Creams: What’s the difference between these two types of products? When should I use one over the other? Is one of the ‘better’?
Making your own:
♥ Which plant is actually Comfrey?: Key identification features to look for.
♥ Comfrey in the garden: Benefits as a plant food.
♥ A look at tinctures, infused vinegars, water extracts, oils, balms etc.
♥ How to make your own extracts from the dried herb that you buy from a recommended supplier (you don’t need to grow it to use it).
Answering key safety questions about Comfrey:
♥ When is it safe to use? When is it not?
♥ Is comfrey safe to take internally as an herbal remedy?
♥ Are there potential drug interactions?
♥ Is the root safe to use? Is the leaf safe to use?
♥ Can comfrey be used as a wild food? Is it safe to eat?
♥ Comfrey extracts and the Law: Can I buy it? Can I make my own remedies from it?
♥ Is comfrey safe to use externally?
♥ Would comfrey creams or oils cause liver damage?
♥ I grow Comfrey in my garden: is it safe to use this? How should I collect and prepare it?
♥ I have broken my leg? Is it safe for me not to go the the doctor and simply wrap my leg in comfrey instead? (ha ha! NO!!)
The Online Classroom Includes Featured Recipes & Reference Guides:
♥ Soothing muscle oil blend (to ease sore muscles etc after training, sports etc. )
♥ Comfrey balm: a simple skin healing balm
♥ Comfrey poultice: an excellent, DIY treatment to help to ease pain from minor sprains, strains, small fractures (e.g. rib, toe etc.).
♥ Dosage guidelines (tinctures, water extracts etc.)
♥ Recommended Resources: Includes recommended suppliers of Comfrey ingredients e.g. oil, tincture, dried herb etc. and help gardeners keen to grow their own plants (e.g. sourcing seeds, recommended herbal horticulture books etc.
Who is this e-class for?
LEVEL: Open to (nearly) everyone!
♥ LEVEL: Open to everyone (total beginners – experienced people working with herbs).
♥ Suitable for beginners & home use: Herb enthusiasts, people who would like to learn more about herbal medicine, people developing their home herbalism skills etc.
♥ Qualified herbalists, herb students, practitioners of other therapies (e.g. aromatherapy, holistic therapists etc.), doctors, pharmacists and other medics : Are welcome to attend and it may be used towards training hours or as CPD/CPE*. Take the class test. Everyone who passes this will automatically receive a certificate (this may be used towards CPD/CPE).
♥ Natural cosmetic-makers and professional formulators: If you would like to learn more about this ingredient that is sometimes of use in skincare products then you are also welcome to join this class. If you require a Certificate then take the class test.
♥ Not suitable for children. This class is aimed at adults.
*Check with your professional association what their requirements are for CPD/CPE.
What does this e-class contain?
Instant Access to the Recorded Class
♥ Video recording of the class: 3 hours of video classes with Vivienne.
♥ Download the pdf: A pdf copy of the slides to make it easier for you to refer back to the notes on this topic.
♥ Home recipes & remedies guide (so you can make your own DIY with Comfrey remedies):
~ Comfrey poultices
~ Comfrey ointment/balm
~ Soothing muscle oil blend
♥ Plant identification guide: Photos (including plants that are often mistaken as being medicinal Comfrey).
♥ Recommended Suppliers List: Where to find the Comfrey ingredients and extracts that Vivienne recommended. Suppliers to the public & practitioners.
♥ Strength & Dosage Guide for Adults & Children: Tinctures, infusions, vinegars, DIY external treatments, infused oil etc.
♥ Growing your own Comfrey: Recommend books on Growing herbs; Recommend suppliers of plants & seeds.
♥ Consulting a Professional Herbalist: Helping you find a qualified herbalist; Links to professional associations around the world.
♥ Keep access to the class*. No expiry date or additional charges.
♥ Get Vivienne’s Support: Includes 1 x credit to book in for a live Q&A session (various dates & times available throughout the year).
♥ Optional Class Quiz & Certificate: Test your knowledge & understanding of this class. Use the certificate towards CPD/CPE credits.
* ‘Life-time access’ to the content of e-Classes & Courses is dependent on 2 things continuing to exist: 1 The technology that hosts the courses. 2 Vivienne! Download the pdf notes to store them at your end. ~~ Booking Now Open~~
Book the e-Class here
Price & Details
€45.00 (One-time payment, not a subscription)
Includes:
✓ Pre-recorded video class (available instantly) 3 hours
✓ Downloadable documents & guides
✓ Support Credit to attend 1 x live group Q&A with Vivienne
✓ Optional test & certificate (useful for CPD/CPE credits)
✓ Life-time access to the e-class content
At last…
Reliable information about Comfrey so that you can finally understand it properly and your banish doubts & fears.
***Genuine Learning***
♥ Vivienne supports her e-courses & e-classes with live sessions so that people get a chance to ask their questions.
♥ This is because she knows that having the opportunity to ask a reliable and experienced teacher your questions is so often the key difference between you genuinely understanding something (and having the confidence and skills to be able to go on to use it) or simply passively collecting information that you don’t understand properly (and are therefore too scared to use or act on).
♥ Cheaper courses usually skip this vital component of learning.
♥ We need less info over-whelm and more understanding, evaluation skills and ACTION! Vivienne genuinely wants you to be able to use these things in your life.
FAQs: Click the + sign for each answer
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♦ It is NOT a diagnosis or a personal, individual medical consultation. It is general health information only. Vivienne cannot diagnose medical conditions via the internet! To have a diagnosis confirmed, please see a medical professional in person where you live e.g. GP, doctor, dermatologist.
♦ It is not a qualification or a professional level class.
♦ It is for your own interest for use at home.
♦ At the end of this class you will not receive a certificate or be qualified to treat people in a clinic.
♦ It is not a detailed, practical extract-making class: This is a deep dive into looking at these medical skin conditions. It is not a practical class on medicine-making techniques and does not include how to make complex extracts and products such as emulsion-making etc. These are very specialised and take hours and hours to teach (and days, weeks and months to learn!). If you would like info about where to learn in detail about how to make advanced extracts and products mentioned during this live class about eczema, then please email Vivienne and she will send you the relevant links to where you can book or find these. This class does include straight-forward DIY remedies that anyone can make at home (e.g. herbal hand baths, poultices etc.), without advanced techniques or equipment, as well as options for buying products that are too complex to make without investing time and money in specialist equipment and ingredients. You don’t need to make everything yourself: simply buy the more complicated products (e.g. creams etc.) from one of Vivienne’s recommended herb suppliers.
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♦ If you are a qualified professional, medical practitioners, holistic/complimentary practitioner then this class may count towards CPD/CPE learning credits with your professional association.
♦ However, it will NOT qualify you to use herbs in your work. It will give a nice introduction and overview to how herbs can be used, and from here you may want to go on to train in this area.
♦ Take the class test/quiz. If you pass then you will automatically be issued with a digital certificate.
♦ Contact your professional association to check their CPD/CPE requirements.
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This class is aimed at the general public for home use treatments. However, may herbalists and herb students do this to learn more about herbal dermatology. You are welcome to join it. It may count towards training hours or CPD: please check this with the school you are training with or your professional association if you are already qualified. You are also most welcome to attend this purely for your own interest.
