Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is often used as a dietary supplement and is known for containing a compound, found in plants, humans, and animals, that contains sulfur. Often used as a form of alternative medicine, MSM is known to be good for:

・     Boosting immunity ・     Relieving pain ・     Reducing inflammation

If you have muscle pain, MSM may be able to help.

MSM is essential for supporting many different functions in the body. It is vital for supporting  proper cell structure and reversing free-radical damage to cells. MSM also supports the immune system and the body’s ability to repair connective tissue.

Methylsulfonylmethane contains sulfur, which is the third most abundant element in the body. Your nails, skin, and hair all contain sulfur, and your body uses it throughout to produce protein and collagen.

What is MSM Good For? Muscle Pain Relief!

MSM can be consumed in a dietary supplement or applied topically. 

The compound has many benefits and uses but it is especially known for helping alleviate:  Joint Pain...Muscle pain often includes joint pain if the muscle is sore due to exercise. Pain in the joints often occurs due to inflammation and the breakdown of cartilage. MSM has been shown to: 

・     Protect the joints by reducing cartilage breakdown

・     Decrease swelling, pain, and stiffness when consumed in amounts of 1,200 mg over a 12-week period

・     Reduce pain & stiffness in joints caused by Arthritis

When joints feel better, muscle pain often subsides. If you’re experiencing muscle and joint pain, MSM may be able to help.

Inflammation occurs when muscle fibers are damaged during exercise. Damage to the muscle tissue is repaired making the muscle stronger in the process. Any time a person engages in strength training, they can be sure that they’re damaging muscle fibers which will then swell and inflame as a natural part of the healing process.

What is MSM good for? A lot of people swear by MSM for its ability to reduce muscle pain. Science has also performed numerous studies on MSM’s ability to help alleviate muscle pain with great results.

What is DMSO?

Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) was first discovered in late 19th century Germany as a byproduct of wood pulping. DMSO can also be found in fruits, in the sea, and in the atmosphere.

DMSO is a colorless, transparent, hygroscopic fluid over a wide range of temperatures. DMSO rose to fame due to its ability to easily pass through the skin and other biological membranes. It's a sulfur-based compound with some amazing healing properties. 

Dimethyl Sulfoxide is derived from dimethyl sulfide, a by-product of the manufacture of paper. Dimethyl Sulfide is a naturally produced biogenic gas essential for the earth’s biogeochemical cycles. Sulfur is also an element of the earth and is essential to life. It is the eighth most prevalent element in the human body, not as sulfur itself but always in combination with other elements, most often, in complex molecules and, less often, in simple molecules such as DMSO .

DMSO is a powerful free radical scavenger and an effective anti-inflammatory agent. It also has pain-relieving, collagen-softening, and anti-inflammatory characteristics, making it an incredibly effective natural pain reliever.

DMSO Uses

People have been known to use DMSO to try to help with a plethora of issues including but not limited to:

•  Inflammatory diseases  • Joint pain relief  • Cancer side-effects (pain)  • Gastrointestinal disorders  • Headaches and Migraines   • Fibromyalgia  

• Psoriasis  • Shingles  • Candida  • Eczema  • Tendonitis  • Interstitial Cystitis  • Autoimmune Disorders  • Amyloidosis  • Scleroderma  

• Ulcerative Colitis  • Diabetic Neuropathy pain  • Varicose and Spider veins  • Burns and scar tissue  • Musculoskeletal disorders 

 • Furuncular otitis  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome  • Hemorrhoids  • Muscle spasms  • Bursitis  • Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrom 

 • General stiffness and soreness   • To improve range of motion

DMSO was and is still used on racehorses and by veterinarians today. For humans, it's most commonly used to help relieve joint and arthritis pain.

DMSO is commercially available in the United States ranging from industrial grade (found in tractor and farm stores) and highly pure grade DMSO for drug delivery and health-care applications. Industrial Grade is commonly used on horses, and dogs whereas 99.99% Pure Pharmaceutical Grade DMSO is for human use.

Side effects of DMSO can be temporary local irritation of the skin and a potential taste and/or sometimes smell of garlic upon use. 

15 Major Therapeutic Properties of DMSO : 

1. It blocks pain by interrupting the conduction in the small c-fibers, the nonmyelinated nerve fibers.

2. It is anti-inflammatory.

3. It is bacteriostatic, fungistatic, and virostatic.

4. It transports numerous pharmaceuticals across membranes.

5. It reduces the incidence of platelet thrombi in blood vessels.

6. It has a specific effect on cardiac contractility by inhibiting calcium to reduce the workload of the heart.

7. It stimulates prostaglandin synthesis - cyclical fatty acids that possess diverse biologic activities that affect cell function in every organ system. PGs have sedative and anticonvulsive effects on the central nervous system.

8. It enhances antifungal and antibacterial agents when combined with them.

9. It is a vasodilator, probably related to histamine release in the cells and to prostaglandin inhibition.

10. It inhibits the release of cholinesterase.

11. It tends to soften collagen by its peculiar cross-linking effect.

12. It scavenges the hydroxyl free radical.

13. It stimulates various types of immunity.

14. It is a potent diuretic, especially when administered intravenously.

15. It stimulates the healing of wounds.

The most common use for DMSO is as a natural pain reliever.

Pain is the most common reason for people to seek medical help and is a major complaint in many medical conditions and disorders. It is common knowledge that acute or chronic pain can significantly interfere with a person’s quality of life and normal daily function.

So, why go natural?

Painkillers, particularly opioid drugs, are the leading cause of unintentional overdose deaths in teens and adults, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), such deaths have reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The number of unintentional drug poisoning deaths exceeds either motor vehicle accidents or suicides, two of the leading causes of death in the United States. One of the reasons for easily overdosing and dying from narcotics is their powerful action as central nervous system (CNS) depressants, especially when the narcotic is combined with alcohol or another pain medication. 

DMSO is similar to aspirin in that it blocks the production of certain prostaglandins by controlling the on-off switch in cells that regulate pain and inflammation, among other things. That is likely the reason why aspirin stops mild inflammation and pain.

However, DMSO goes a step farther than aspirin in that it not only blocks the prostaglandins that can induce pain and inflammation but also stops or slows down conduction of pain fibers when it is administered topically.

Unlike aspirin and other popular painkillers, DMSO is not considered toxic to the stomach or gut where aspirin can cause peptic ulcers or gastrointestinal tract irritation at therapeutic doses.

What Is DMSO Used For?

DMSO stands for dimethyl sulfoxide. Now try saying that 5 times fast! It’s a tricky word which is why people typically shorten it to DMSO. But what exactly is DMSO?

DMSO is a topical application used to help people (and some animals) with a number of pains. It’s great for anti-inflammatory usage and has many other properties that make it extremely useful.

Think DMSO might help you? Keep reading and see what it can do and where it comes from. It might surprise you!

The History of DMSO

This compound was actually discovered way back in the mid-1800s in paper-making factories. DMSO is a substance found in wood and was used in the paper-making process. Factory workers found that the liquid would affect their hands if they spilled any on their skin. One of the more interesting effects was when the workers claimed they would get a slight, garlicky flavor in their mouth shortly after spilling the liquid on their hands.

No harm ever came to the workers that were exposed to the DMSO liquid, and chemists all over became intrigued by the property of this substance. Over time, chemists and researchers explored the property of DMSO and it soon became a commonly used product in medical treatments over the years.

What Does DMSO Do?

One of the great attributes of DMSO is its anti-inflammatory properties. Doctors found DMSO to be extremely useful in reducing inflammation in joints and often prescribe it to patients experiencing chronic pain.  But that’s not the only thing DMSO can do. It can also help heal burns and wounds. DMSO is known to help decrease pain and increase the speed at which a wound (or inflammation) can be healed.

How Does DMSO Work?

The reason DMSO works so great to reduce inflammation is due to the fact that it is extremely effective at absorbing into the skin. DMSO can get to the source quickly and start reducing inflammation a lot quicker than other medications. Another property DMSO has is allowing other medications to be absorbed quicker. DMSO not only soaks into your skin quickly, but it also helps aid other medications to pass through the skin barrier much quicker, making it easier for it to get right to the source.

DMSO comes in a few different forms: oral pill, injection, and a gel or cream. The gel form is most commonly used and is applied directly to the skin.

 How To Apply DMSO Topically

DMSO is most frequently used for muscles and joints as a natural pain reliever. It is excellent as an anti-inflammatory and has many uses as a general pain reliever. DMSO is a pretty unique substance, so let's go over how to properly apply DMSO blend topically. 

1) Clean your hands and the application area

DMSO is an amazing carrier! What this means is that DMSO has the ability to enhance the absorption of things that are applied with DMSO or that are already on your skin. (This is one of the reasons we offer our blends to help the natural work faster)

It is important to wash your hands and under your nails thoroughly before using topical DMSO so that any dirt, bacteria, or other unwanted substance doesn’t also absorb into the skin. Similarly, you should always clean the area you plan to apply DMSO , just in case there is some harmful substance on your skin.

2) Test a patch first

Temporary skin irritation is normal with DMSO , so before the first use, apply it to a small area on your forearm to test your skin sensitivity so you know what to expect. To reduce skin irritation, allow the DMSO to be absorbed for a few minutes (5-20 depending on your sensitivity) and then wipe off any excess. If irritation persists, rinse with cool water.

Now apply DMSO topically

Allow it to dry for about 20 minutes, then you can wipe off any excess.

Remember, DMSO is a solvent that can dissolve other substances (like some types of plastic), so make sure your skin is dry before you put on clothes or come in contact with other things.

Your skin may tingle after topically applying DMSO . In some instances, people have reported experiencing a slight smell and/or taste of garlic after applying DMSO topically. A little odd, but nothing to fret about

When using DMSO for pain relief, apply it to an area larger than where the pain is. For example, if your knee is painful, it is recommended that you apply it to six inches above and below your knee, all around the circumference of your knee. If your hand hurts, apply it all the way to the middle of your forearm, and so on.

Dabbing it onto your skin may reduce skin irritation from DMSO use. However, rubbing it in may help it to work quicker and make the effects last longer. It's best to experiment with the amount you use to see how it affects your pain and your body specifically. By experimenting, you’ll find the minimum amount you can use that eases the pain.

With DMSO , a little goes a long way! Start small and apply more as you feel is needed. You will be the best judge of how much and how often to apply it.

How often?

Some people have been known to apply DMSO anywhere from 1 to 6 or more times per day. Sources and studies show different dosages for different diagnoses.

For instance, for nerve pain, they recommend you apply it 4x daily for up to 3 weeks, but for osteoarthritis, the study had it applied 3x daily for up to 3 weeks.

In a study testing its effectiveness in treating shingles, it was applied within 48 hours of the rash appearing and then reapplied every 4 hours for 4 days.

All that being said, it’s important to listen to your body when using a product like DMSO so that you’re staying safe and using it properly.

For acute conditions, some sources recommend that you apply it every two hours for six to eight hours immediately after the injury occurs. Then, for the next five days or more, apply DMSO every four to six hours. 

Typically, the benefits associated with DMSO uses will come in the first three weeks. For chronic conditions, the effects may take longer. Chronic pain patients often have to apply the substance for 6 weeks before a notable change occurs, but many report relief to a degree they had not been able to obtain from any other source. Although some notice some easing of pain right away, it may take six to eight weeks, or even six months in rare cases, for the maximum benefit to be achieved depending on the person and their pain.