General characteristics

A fracture is essentially a break in the bone/s and is usually caused by an accident or trauma. If the structural integrity of the bones is very weak (as in osteoporosis or in the elderly), then it is possible for bones to fracture under the weight of the body.

When a bone fractures it bleeds, causing intense pain and swelling in the surrounding tissues. Nerves can be damaged and the surrounding muscles may be sore and spasm as they attempt to hold the broken bones in their correct position.

There are several different types of fracture. An open fracture means the bone has broken through the skin, allowing the possibility of bone infection if not treated carefully. A closed fracture does not break the skin. The bone may have a simple break, with the bones still in their correct alignment or be displaced, whereby the two surfaces of the broken bone do not meet. Some types of fracture can be very complicated and require surgery to re-align the bones and repair soft tissue damage.

Once the nature of the fracture has been properly assessed and perhaps reset, then herbs and natural healing can greatly speed up the healing process and reduce the liklihood of complications arising.

Useful herbs

When the fracture has been attended to, reset and plastered etc then you can think about using the bone growers and fixers to speed up the healing process. The best include comfrey root and leaf, boneset and solomons seal. Make these into a paste by boiling them (a tablespoon of each say) in a pint and a half of water for half an hour and whizzing them together in a blender. If the break isn't covered you can apply the paste direct to the area that needs healing. You can strain off the liquid and bathe the area with it, if you can get to it, or the area just above or below the break; the herbs will get through to it via the blood.

If the fracture is covered, then consider taking these herbs internally but do not use the comfrey root internally. Use a teaspoon of boneset and comfrey leaf per cup and drink 2 cups daily.

A nutritious daily tea of equal parts nettle, raspberry leaf, alfalfa and oatstraw will provide copious amounts of useful nutrients to speed the healing along.