DMSO Pain Remedies

Dimethylsufoxide (DMSO) is a slightly oily liquid that has a mild garlic odor. It's used on sprained ankles, pulled muscles, dislocated joints, and even simple fractures to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. DMSO is absorbed through skin, distributed through the circulatory system and excreted by the kidneys. DMSO and its derivative, Methylsufonylmethane (MSM), are controversial pain remedies despite wide use by those who practice alternative medicine.

History

• A Russian scientist named Saytzeff first synthesized DMSO in 1866. In the 1950's and 60's DMSO, a byproduct of wood processing, was used to improve solvents in the production of resins, dyes, paints, agricultural chemicals and synthetic fibers. British scientists used DMSO as a coolant to preserve human blood cells. This use interested Dr. Stanley Jacob, a Harvard researcher who was looking for a preservative to facilitate organ transplants. His studies revealed that DMSO easily passes through skin without harming tissues. The therapeutic properties of DMSO include analgesia, anti-inflammation, softening of scar tissue, protection of cells from damage by free radicals and improved circulation. In the 1970's the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved DMSO for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders in dogs and horses, and approved its use in humans for insterstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition.
  An animal study using high doses of DMSO showed damaging changes to the eye lens. This--and media coverage of an unexplained death in Riverside, California, in the 1980's that was initially attributed to the patient's use of DMSO--began to discredit this substance as a "quack remedy." In the United States DMSO is labeled as an industrial solvent when sold in health food stores; it cannot be sold legally as an over-the-counter medication.
  MSM, a metabolite of DMSO, is an organic form of sulfur that seems to have all the healing properties of DMSO with fewer unwanted effects. Doses of both substances are cumulative and may take several days or weeks to obtain full effects, depending on the location and extent of the injury being treated.

Side Effects

• The use of DMSO causes a garlic odor in the breath and body odor that lasts for several days. DMSO applied to skin may cause temporary irritation and rash. DMSO can also give false readings on liver-function tests. MSM has a slight aspirin-like effect; it reduces blood-clotting time and may be contraindicated in persons using other blood-thinning medications.

Uses

• Topical DMSO as well as oral MSM can be used to treat localized pain (during movement), swelling and loss of mobility due to sports or repetitive-use injuries. DMSO has been a popular remedy for arthritis for more than 30 years. A 2004 Canadian study showed DMSO-assisted delivery of another anti-inflammatory medication provided relief of osteoarthritis in the knee.