DMSO relieves pain, reduces swelling, inflammation and much more. See 30 DMSO uses, from burns to scleroderma, plus directions, side effects, safety. DMSO alternative pain relief is most frequently for muscles and joints. Applied to the skin, DMSO is an excellent anti-inflammatory and has many uses as a general pain reliever. It has been used with varying degrees of success in a great variety of medical ailments.
How to use DMSO
Clean your hands and the area to be treated
Wash your hands and under your nails thoroughly before using topical DMSO. You should always clean the area for which you plan a DMSO use, just in case there is some harmful substance on your skin with a molecule small enough to go through. Note that only those substances that could penetrate by themselves if left on the skin long enough can be transported through (more quickly) by DMSO. Bacteria and viruses are too large and thus are not able to pass through, and bacteria cannot grow in DMSO of 25 percent strength or more.
DMSO application instructions:
How to apply DMSO topically
DMSO application can involve applying it directly to your skin with your hands. If you prefer not to use your hands, you can use a cotton ball or a paint brush. Be sure it has soaked in.
Remember, DMSO is a solvent that can dissolve other substances,so make sure your skin is dry before you put on DMSO dosage
In applying the DMSO for DMSO alternative pain relief, apply it to an area larger than where the pain is. 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.
Most of it will penetrate within 15 minutes, and the pores of the skin may be open for another half hour or so. Just to be safe, it is recommended that you avoid contact with all toxic substances for three hours after DMSO use.
There is no need to worry unduly about DMSO’s ability to open the pores and penetrate the skin. Other products on the market also go through the skin, such a patches for nicotine, seasickness medication, and creams/lotions that deliver such things as MSM or capsaicin for arthritis through the skin. With any of these products, you should avoid exposure to toxic substances after you have applied the cream or just after you have removed the patch.
Dabbing it onto your skin may reduce irritation from DMSO use. However, rubbing it in may help it to work quicker and make the effects last longer. You might want to experiment with the amount you use to see how it affects your pain. By experimenting, you’ll find the minimum amount that eases the pain.
DMSO Treatment
Frequency of DMSO use depends on whether your problem is acute (something that happens, gets fixed, and does not come back, like a sprained ankle) or whether it is chronic (ongoing, long-term pain, as with arthritis). Although it relieves pain in both acute and chronic arthritis, DMSO for alternative pain relief works best in the acute forms. DMSO works for arthritis because it is an anti-inflammatory and because it reduces autoimmune antibodies that damage or destroy tissue. It also prevents free radicals from destroying lubricating fluid in the joints.
Acute conditions: For acute conditions, recommend that you apply it every two hours for six to eight hours immediately after the injury occurs. Following that, for the next five days or more, apply DMSO every four to six hours. Most of the benefit from DMSO uses will come in the first three weeks.
Chronic conditions: For chronic conditions, it takes longer to take effect. Although you may notice some easing of pain right away, it may take six to eight weeks. It depends on the person and the condition. One application a day is recommended.
Take some time off regularly from DMSO use. DMSO exits the body in about 24 hours. Nevertheless, in both acute and chronic cases, it is recommended that you take some time off on a regular basis, say two days in a row each week. For example, just take Saturday and Sunday off every week. If you are using it daily, long term, take two to four weeks off, in a row, every six months. Or, you could do 30 days on and 30 days off.
DMSO for pain
DMSO treatment is most frequently for pain relief. It is a better anti-inflammatory than aspirin and is safer than steroids. It is usually used topically, on the skin. In addition, you get the good effects without the bad effects of narcotics (like morphine), which include loss of sensation, drowsiness, nausea and other nasty side effects.
It gives relief for both acute and chronic pain, and that relief may last for six hours or more. A little bit goes a long way, and, unlike other remedies, the body does not develop a tolerance for it, requiring increasing amounts. If anything, it is just the reverse; less and less is needed.
Testimonial: “DMSO uses for me always involve alternative pain relief. I have used it successfully for pain in my elbow, knees and for the tendonitis in my right foot. And one night, when I woke up with pinging pain in my lower abdomen, I prayed for healing, and then it occurred to me that if the pain was due to inflammation that it might work (thank you God, for that revelation). I applied it and the pain lessened and lessened and it was finally gone in 15 minutes and I went back to sleep. Note that I had already had this abdominal pain, which happens only occasionally, checked out by my doctor and determined that nothing was wrong. I used it once a day for the chronic tendonitis in my elbow, and it took about two to three months for all of the pain to go away. The good news is that when I got lazy and stopped using it, the pain didn’t come back for many months. Remember that it doesn’t work for every kind of pain, although I have had 100 percent success with it, so far.”
Other DMSO uses
Burns
A 50 to 100 percent solution, applied as quickly as possible after the burn, can ease pain and diminish scarring.
Bursitis
DMSO relieves acute bursitis 80 to 90 percent of the time. Even in chronic bursitis with calcium deposits, DMSO brings good results in weeks to months, and the calcium deposits eventually fade away. A study (John and Laudahn, 1967) involving 293 patients with acute bursitis showed complete relief in 136 patients, partial relief in 121, and 36 with no change. In the same study, of 782 patients with chronic bursitis, 345 enjoyed complete relief, 321 showed partial remission, and 116 saw no change in three months. The protocol was five milliliters of 90 percent solution to the affected and surrounding area two to four times daily.
Frostbite
People using DMSO even up to 24 hours after the frostbite showed total recovery.
Frozen shoulder
A 70 percent solution of DMSO can relieve pain and increase mobility. Apply for up to a month.
Gouty Arthritis
This disease, which affects mostly adult males, is caused by a nutritional and metabolic disorder. Research: In a study (John and Laudahn, 1967) of 19 patients, 16 enjoyed total elimination of symptoms and three had partial remission. In another study (Blumenthal and Fuchs, 1967) of five patients, two had excellent results, two had good results and one saw no change. Dosage is usually 5 milliliters of 90 percent solution applied topically to the painful area and the surrounding area two to four times daily until relief of symptoms occurs.
Hemorrhoids
Apply a 70 percent solution to the hemorrhoid for quick relief of pain and swelling.
Injuries
Strains, sprains, bruising, bone fractures, whiplash, athletic injuries etc: DMSO produces really impressive results with these types of injuries with its anti-inflammatory capabilities and its ability to relieve pain and increase circulation. The sooner the treatment after the injury, the better the result.
There is usually pain relief in 20 minutes or less, and pain and swelling often go away almost completely within a few hours of application. Topical application of a 90 percent solution two to four times daily is the usual protocol. “I’ve seen swollen ankles shrink in size in less than an hour,” says Robert Jay Rowen, M.D., who practices in San Jose, California.
Interstitial cystitis
In the study that led to FDA approval, 64 percent of the men and 54 percent of the women obtained relief of symptoms.
Muscle spasms, including nighttime muscle cramps
DMSO helps remove toxins and waste material and improves circulation in the muscles to help relieve muscle spasms.
Neuritis
The pain of the this nerve inflammation is relieved from 50 to 95 percent of the time.
DMSO for arthritis
DMSO can relieve joint pain, increase range of motion and increase grip strength. Many studies have been conducted, both in the U.S. and in other countries, on the effects of DMSO on arthritis. All found it to relieve pain and inflammation.
Research: In the largest study, in Germany, over 1641 patients were given two to five milliliters of DMSO topically two to four times daily for the first week, then twice daily for the remainder of two to six months, until remission of symptoms occurred. Eight hundred fifty one patients enjoyed full remission, 553 had partial relief, and 237 reported no benefit.
In another study (Steinberg 1967) with 152 patients, a 90 percent solution was applied topically four times a day to the joints and surrounding areas. Patients reported considerable pain relief just minutes after application, lasting four to six hours. Almost 85 percent reported significant results.
In a Russian test, scientists concluded that “the use of DMSO for inflammatory and degenerative joint disease is well founded. Treatment with DMSO in different combinations is tolerated well by patients and adverse side effects are seldom encountered.” DMSO is most effective for those who have had arthritis for a short time.
Although it relieves pain in both acute and chronic arthritis, it works best in the acute forms. DMSO works here because it is an anti-inflammatory and because it reduces autoimmune antibodies that damage or destroy tissue. It also prevents free radicals from destroying lubricating fluid in the joints.
DMSO works best of all in osteoarthritis. Patients of all ages get good results, no matter how long or how severe the condition. Larger joints–hip, knee, shoulder–may require longer treatment.
Peyronie’s disease and DMSO
Topical application to the penis removes pain about 50 percent of the time.
Phantom limb pain
Apply topically.
Phlebitis
Relieves some of the pain and superficial clotting when applied to the skin.
Post-operative pain
Topical treatment.
Prostatitis
About 75 percent of those treated may get relief from associated pain.
Pruritus ani
Up to 90 percent of those affected find relief from rectal itching and pain from the application of 70 percent DMSO to the anal area.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
DMSO produces best results with early treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. It is not a cure for RA, but it gives relief in the majority of cases. Studies in Germany and Japan showed significant results in over half of patients–from complete remission of symptoms to less joint pain, better grip strength and better range of motion–using topical applications of 90 percent solution for six months in the German study and four weeks in the Japanese study. Sometimes it works for RA, sometimes it doesn’t, but considering the disabling effects of that disease, it may be worth a try.
Sciatica
Apply topically.
Scleroderma
Two studies, one at the Cleveland Clinic and one in Russia, found that DMSO brings the best results of any kind of therapy for this condition. More than 50 percent of those treated showed major improvement.
Sunburn
Apply to the burned area.
Tendonitis
The pain of tennis elbow, golf elbow, tendonitis of the foot/ankle are eased when -DMSO is applied regularly. Sometimes it takes several months. A study (Steinberg, 1967) of 50 patients showed significant results in 94 percent of patients. A 90 percent solution was applied to the area every four hours at the beginning, then decreased for the remainder of the treatment period. Patients usually found relief within ten to fifteen minutes following the treatment.
Varicose veins
Those treated with a 70 to 90 percent solution applied to the skin experienced prompt relief from pain, cramping and swelling.
Don’t use it if you are pregnant.
If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, or are breast feeding, don’t use it. Although the research is scanty, there may be a risk to the fetus or infant. If you’re on birth control pills and not trying to get pregnant, this caution does not apply. But, if studies show that small amounts of caffeine or alcohol may cause birth defects, even low-risk dimethyl sulfoxide may also have an effect. Why take a chance?
Interactions with other drugs
DMSO use may increase the effects of drinking alcohol and may increase the effects of other drugs, including those that make you less than normally alert.
Other cautions
1. While it can help a wound heal faster and decrease scar formation, it should not be used on wounds that are infected.
2. Don’t use it for poison ivy or poison oak or for insect bites, since it may spread the substance that is causing your discomfort.
3. Don’t store it in proximity with toxic substances. Stay away from toxic substances during and after application of
DMSO (for 3 hours afterward, to be absolutely safe). And if you accidentally spill a toxic substance on yourself after using DMSO, don’t panic; just wash it off right away with soap and water.
4. Take a good multivitamin/mineral supplement to neutralize the free radicals released by DMSO use in the healing process. It should contain vitamins A, C, E, B1, B6, zinc and selenium.
Ingredients: Dimethyl Sulfoxide
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.