You may have heard of DMSO, Dimethyl Sulfoxide, as being used to relieve pain and swelling of an injury. DMSO is a popular pain relief medication for sport injuries including pulled joints, bruises and injured muscles. Bruising is all but eliminated if used soon enough. It is approved for use by Veterinarians and they commonly use it at the racetrack on horses.

When you look it up, you may be perplexed that it’s listed as a solvent.

That’s because DMSO is not FDA approved for pain relief and swelling. In fact, I know of several people on a rugby team who used this ‘solvent’ to reduce pain and swelling from muscle pain type injuries such as sprained ankles or soreness due to a hit.

When you buy it, even from websites that sell ‘natural pain relievers’, you’ll see something like this:

Precautions: This product is intended to be used as a solvent only. The choice of the process used in various forms of application of this product are the sole responsibility of the customer. DMSO is quickly absorbed through the skin and can carry contaminants and impurities with it. Exercise care to avoid accidental skin contact especially to the eyes and face and/or wear protective gloves and clothing when using this product.

What is DMSO?

DMSO, methylsulfonylmethane, has been used for over 100 years in the United States. It is a natural substance derived from wood pulp and is considered by most as harmless when used with the proper precautions.

Dr. Jacob said at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Health in 1980, "If we have patients appear before the Committee with [edematous] sprained ankles, the application of DMSO would be followed by objective diminution of swelling within an hour. No other therapeutic modality will do this."

Chronic pain patients often been known to apply the substance for 6 weeks before a change occurs, but many report relief to a degree they had not been able to obtain from any other source.

It is not approved by the FDA for exterior treatment of sports injuries but it has long been used effectively for this purpose.

A bit of DMSO history as it relates to sports med injury.

In 1964 Dr. Stanley Jacob, described the remarkable medicinal properties of DMSO. When applied to undamaged human skin (skin with no open scars or soars), the compound penetrates rapidly and produces a wide range of pharmaceutical actions, including that of an anti-inflammatory, local analgesic.

As a result the compound has been used widely as a treatment for various conditions, including arthritis, bursitis, acute musculoskeletal trauma. To date little, if any, local or systemic toxicity has been noted in humans after the administration of DMSO. When athletes use it, they do not use it on open soars or cuts but rather bruises and for muscle soreness and swelling.

In the U.S., the word-of-mouth is that DMSO is capable of relieving pain, diminishing swelling, reducing inflammation, encouraging healing and restoring normal function. In Great Britain, Germany, and Japan, doctors prescribe it for a variety of ailments, including pain, inflammation and arthritis.

Why is DMSO not FDA approved?

It is a very inexpensive compound and some say it it’s approval by the FDA is suppressed by pharmaceutical industry lobbying. In the U.S. DMSO is approved only to treat chronic inflammation of the bladder wall also known as interstitial cystitis.

Trials using DMSO to control and manage elevated intracranial pressure common in traumatic brain injuries (closed head traumas) have been approved in some cases.

How often, where you can and can’t use it or how to manage itching if you happen to have sensitive skin is something you should read in the recommended book in this listing. Crystal Ice is often recommended to combat itching as it relates to DMSO.

The book listed on this page, DMSO: Nature's Healer by Morton Walker, offers more information in regards to how it should or should not be used as a natural healing agent. If you’ve heard about it and intend to use it for a purpose other than a solvent, it would be a good idea to read up on what form is best and how to use it most effectively.

Here are a few guidelines from the football and rugby player I’ve witnessed using it on muscular injuries.

• DO NOT rub. DO pour or dab with a cotton ball
• Don't contaminate the bottle. Always pour some solution into a small glass, cup, or other container, and apply from this container.
• You can add water and some claim that it works better with some added water
• Be careful not to leave lots of liquid DMSO on in any particular area as it will itch
• Humans who use DMSO are actually able to taste the substance in their mouths and it is reportedly quite unappetizing
• Veterinarians recognize that DMSO is valuable since it not only penetrates the skin quickly, but also takes along with it other substances, such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. This needs to be considered as it relates to substances you DON’T want in your body.

Others cite DMSO's principal side effects:

• An odd odor, akin to that of garlic, that emanates from the mouth shortly after use, even if use is through the skin.
• A mild headache