B&W (Burns and Wounds)/Burdock Therapy
A remarkable development across Plain communities in North America in recent years has been the growth of what may be called the “B&W movement.” “B&W” is the name of an Amish-produced honey-based ointment applied to scalded burdock (Arctium lappa) leaves that are used to dress burns and severe wounds. Developed in the 1990s by Amish herbalist John Keim and refined by a large and growing network of trained caregivers, the B&W/burdock therapy is viewed by many Plain people as preferable to the biomedical standard of care for wound healing and pain management, especially skin grafts and opioids. Though not FDA-approved, B&W/burdock is increasingly on the radar of burn and trauma care providers nationwide and there is an emerging body of research on the ointment and dressing method that supports its strongly positive reputation among Plain groups.
A five-part recording of an Amish-led B&W/burdock training seminar in Easton, ME, from 2021 is accessible on YouTube:
I: Introduction
II: The John Keim Workbook
III: Wound Dressing with Burdock and Gauze
IV: Testimonial (Mark Stoll, Aylmer, ON; audio only)
V: Oil Therapy (audio only)
Here is an article on the experience of the University of Michigan Trauma Burn Center with B&W/burdock:
Here are open-access and subscription-based scholarly articles on B&W/burdock:
Open-access articles:
Hess, Rosanna F. (2018). Amish and Mennonite lay caregivers’ experiences using the B&W burdock leaf treatment on burns and wounds: A qualitative study. Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies 6:144–158.
Kolacz, Nicole M. et al. (2014). The effect of Burns & Wounds (B&W)/burdock leaf therapy on burn-injured Amish patients: A pilot study measuring pain levels, infection rates, and healing times. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 32, 327–340.
Main, Maria E. et al. (2012). Treatment of burns with Burns & Wounds (B & W) ointment and leaf therapy. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 18, 109–111.
Rieman, Mary T. et al. (2013). Amish burn ointment and burdock leaf dressings: Assessments of antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Journal of Burn Care and Research 35, e217–e223.
Schell, Adam, et al. (2019). Honey-based salve and burdock leaf dressings as an alternative to surgical debridement of a traumatic wound eschar. Advances in Wound Care 8, 91–124.
Weber, Christina. (2021). Amish burn treatment meets a major trauma centre: Success with cooperation. Plastic Surgery Case Studies 7, 1–5.
Whiteford, Erin, and Shahab Abdessalam. (2021). Burdock leaf and B&W ointment: A natural and suitable alternative to negative pressure wound therapy and skin grafting in the treatment of traumatic crush injury post surgical debridement. Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports, 65.
Articles that require an institutional subscription and for which abstracts are available:
Flurry, Mitchell D. et al. (2017). Salve and burdock: A safe, effective Amish remedy for treatment of traumatic wounds? Advances in Skin & Wound Care, 30, 213–217.
Hess, Rosanna F. (2017). Amish-initiated burn care project: Case report and lessons learned in participatory research. Journal of Transcultural Nursing 28, 212–219.
Kahn, Steven A. et al. (2013). Mortality after treating severe burns with traditional Amish home remedies: A case report, literature review and ethical discussion. Burns 39, e13–e16.
Nathan, Shelby et al. (2020). The management of paediatric burns with Burns and Wounds ointment and burdock leaves: A case series. Journal of Wound Care (North American Supplement) 29, S30–S35.
Snider, Mira D. H. et al. (2023). Descriptive analysis of current burn care for Plain communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania: A qualitative study of strengths and needs in a hospital-community partnership, Journal of Burn Care and Research 44, 936–944.
Trinkle, Krystal Melich. (2016). Amish culture and their utilization of Burns and Wounds ointment for the treatment of burns. Holistic Nursing Practice 30, 78–87.