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DMSO and Inflammation

Aug 22, 2011 | By Sirah Dubois

DMSO, or dimethyl sulfoxide, is a by-product of the wood industry and has been used for commercial purposes since the early 1950s. Specifically, DMSO is a colorless fluid derived from lignin, which is essentially the interstitial fluid of trees and not related to sap. DMSO has been well studied, especially up to the mid 1980s, and has proven to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties in people and animals while producing no toxic side effects. DMSO is approved by the FDA for treating interstitial cystitis of the bladder, but it is not widely used by American medical doctors as a general anti-inflammatory.

DMSO

DMSO was originally discovered to be an excellent solvent in that it can dissolve material much better than water. By the early 1960s, a medical doctor named Stanley Jacob began to investigate its application to human health, especially as a tissue preservative because Dr. Jacob was an organ transplant specialist at the time. According to Dr. Jacob in his book "DMSO: Nature's Healer," he discovered that DMSO was also an excellent natural preservative because it was able to quickly penetrate animal tissues without causing damage; however, DMSO also drew in skin moisture, so he reduced its concentration to between 70 and 90 percent and often mixed it with aloe vera to prevent skin drying.

DMSO and Inflammation

Dr. Jacob also discovered that DMSO is an anti-oxidant capable of eliminating free-radicals, which tends to reduce inflammation. His observations were confirmed in a 1967 study, published in the "Annals of the New York Academy of Science," which looked at DMSO's affect on acute and chronic musculoskeletal injures and inflammation . DMSO was also found to stabilize membranes and reduce leakage from damaged cells, which further reduces inflammation. A Japanese study, also published in a 1967 edition of the "Annals of the New York Academy of Science," found DMSO effective in treating the pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. An Iraqi study published in a 1992 edition of the "Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine" found that DMSO was helpful in treating the symptoms related to ulcerative colitis.

FDA Approved

In addition to its penetrative, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, DMSO also helps relieve pain, although it was only approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use as an organ transplant preservative and for interstitial cystitis, an inflammatory bladder condition. Veterinarians, especially those involved with race horses and greyhounds, have used DMSO liquids and crystals on animals for years with reputedly excellent results, although questions of legality have prevented full disclosure and scientific study, as explained in "DMSO: Nature's Healer."

Controversies

Within the alternative health community, DMSO is commonly used to help mitigate pain and inflammation related to a wide variety of diseases, and it is sometimes combined with pharmaceuticals and chemotherapy to help drive the chemicals further into the body, as noted in "DMSO: Nature's Healer." DMSO is also supposed to be a "potentiater" of chemicals, meaning it magnifies their strength, so be cautious with using it simultaneous to any drugs. The only known side effects of DMSO usage are dry skin over the site of application, if used in full strength, and emission of a garlic-like odor from your body. Consult with your doctor about the potential benefits or contraindications of using DMSO as an anti-inflammatory.

References

Article reviewed by Sue Last updated on: Aug 22, 2011

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