DMSO: A Breakthrough for Pain and Injury Relief

 

Most of us have heard about over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or potent opioids for pain. Who hasn’t, right? Even though these drugs can sometimes help, they can also cause serious health issues when used too much. In fact, pain pills of all types lead to tens of thousands of deaths every year.

That’s why many people have started looking for other, safer options. One treatment that has been quietly praised for decades is called DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide). Despite its remarkable safety and effectiveness, it has never become part of mainstream medicine, partly because of regulatory hurdles and a lack of profit motive for big pharmaceutical companies.

This underutilization of DMSO is a crucial issue that, if addressed, could change how we treat some of the most challenging types of chronic pain and injuries.

 

How DMSO Works

DMSO is a natural compound that can move deep into the body when applied to the skin or taken internally. Once inside, it does a few amazing things at the same time. It soothes inflammation, boosts circulation, and even relaxes muscles stuck in painful spasms.

One 1983 study, for example, found that DMSO could relieve pain as effectively as morphine without the dangerous side effects or risk of addiction. Researchers noted how DMSO blocks the signals sent by tiny nerve fibers, which are responsible for the sharp or burning sensations we often feel when something hurts.

 

The 60 Minutes Story and Congress Takes Notice

DMSO’s popularity in the United States soared in the 1970s and 1980s when doctors and patients shared amazing success stories. A popular 60 Minutes segment introduced millions of viewers to stories about people who were suddenly able to walk again after years of being stuck in bed or who stopped taking high doses of opioids after adopting simple DMSO rubs.

Many in the medical world were stunned, and members of Congress started asking why such a promising treatment was not easily available. In March 1980, a congressional hearing grilled the FDA, forcing officials to explain why they had been blocking its use. They promised to be fair, but that never really happened.

Despite evidence including thousands of cases and studies, the FDA has not approved DMSO for most conditions.

 

Rapid Relief for Chronic Pain

DMSO’s pain-fighting power does not just work for mild aches. Many people who have spent years unable to move around because of arthritis or severe back pain have reported dramatic improvements within minutes or days.

Others with a condition called complex regional pain syndrome, known to be one of the toughest pain syndromes to manage, have gotten better with DMSO even after powerful drugs failed. Doctors who studied it in the 1960s found that about 80-90 percent of patients treated for muscle and joint problems reported less pain and better movement, often very quickly.

 

Healing from Surgery and Injuries

Besides reducing pain, DMSO also helps injuries heal faster. It pulls extra fluid out of swollen joints and tissues, preventing the formation of tough scar tissue that can limit movement.

In one animal experiment, DMSO improved the success rates of skin grafts and surgical wounds by stopping tissue from dying and infection from spreading. People recovering from common surgeries like knee replacements have said they bounced back weeks faster by rubbing on DMSO. Even professional athletes discovered they could apply it to sprains or tears and get back in action much sooner.

 

A Friend to Athletes

Many pro athletes in football, baseball, and other sports turned to DMSO because it was the only thing that let them recover in time for the next game. When trainers realized how it often cut recovery time in half, it became a bit of a secret weapon in the locker room.

One Dallas Cowboys player told the press in 2013 that everyone knew about it, and it made a night-and-day difference for injuries like a twisted ankle. As a team doctor for the Oakland Raiders once explained in a 1980 hearing, DMSO gave his players relief from pain, swelling, and bruising in just a few days. He estimated it sped up recovery by 50 to 75 percent.

 

Seven Little Known Medical Uses Of DMSO

 

Cryopreservation of Cells and Tissues

• Bone marrow and stem cell storage: DMSO is widely used as a cryoprotectant to help preserve bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cells, and cord blood stem cells during freezing and thawing.
• Organ and tissue research: Research labs use DMSO to preserve delicate tissues, organ slices, or cell lines, as it helps protect cell membranes from damage by ice crystals.

 Enhancement of Drug Delivery

• Topical penetration enhancer: DMSO can increase skin permeability, helping certain topical medications or creams penetrate deeper layers of tissue.
• Combination therapies: Certain healthcare providers sometimes combine DMSO with other agents (e.g., local anesthetics) in clinical settings to achieve more effective symptom relief.

Intravesical Treatment for Bladder Conditions

• Interstitial cystitis: In addition to the better-known FDA-approved use of DMSO (RIMSO-50) for interstitial cystitis, some clinics use it in less publicized, investigational ways for various inflammatory bladder conditions, often in combination with other therapies.

Management of Extravasation Injuries

• Accidental leakage of IV drugs: DMSO is occasionally used in certain parts of the world as a topical agent to help reduce tissue damage if certain chemotherapy drugs leak from the IV line into the tissue. This practice is not universal and remains somewhat controversial or “off-label” but is still recognized in some clinical guidelines.

 Medical Device and Material Sterilization/Preparation

• Laboratory sterilization: DMSO, due to its solvent properties and ability to penetrate membranes, has been studied in specialized settings to aid in sterilizing or preparing certain medical materials.
• Dental or surgical materials: Research continues into whether DMSO can improve the adhesion or penetration of certain materials used in dental or surgical procedures.

Adjunct for Pain Management in Non-Healing Wounds

• Wound care clinics: Some wound care specialists may use DMSO combined with topical analgesics or anti-inflammatories to speed healing or manage pain in chronic wounds, burns, or ulcers, although it’s not a mainstream protocol.

Anti-Inflammatory Instillation or Injection (Investigational)

• Joint injections: A few practitioners have experimented with low concentrations of DMSO in joint injections (e.g., for osteoarthritis), though this remains largely investigational and not widely adopted.
• Synovial fluid research: DMSO’s strong solvent properties sometimes find use in research focused on inflammatory markers within the joint fluids.

 

Safety and Side Effects

DMSO, with over 60 years of testing and millions of users, has a remarkable safety record. Think about this… there have been no confirmed deaths from it, and most side effects are minor or harmless, such as skin irritation or a faint garlic-like odor on the breath.

In contrast, common painkillers like NSAIDs and opioids cause many deaths each year and send countless people to the hospital. Some research has shown that DMSO still did not harm those who took it, even at very high doses. Many experts think it could replace some of the most dangerous pain meds we use today.

 

Why It’s Still Underground

At this point, DMSO should be a household name for chronic pain, sports injuries, and more. The evidence for it is solid, yet it remains outside the standard of care, largely because older and inexpensive compounds rarely attract the backing needed for FDA approval.

There is also the fear that it works “too well” and would threaten the profits of pharmaceutical companies. During the congressional hearings, the FDA was questioned about dragging its feet, yet nothing changed. For now, people are forced to buy DMSO at farm supply stores or on the internet, while mainstream medicine mostly ignores it.

 

DMSO as a Metaphor For What’s Wrong With Medicine in The U.S.

DMSO’s story is a powerful reminder that many effective treatments do not get the attention they deserve, often for reasons that have nothing to do with patient care. For the thousands who have already experienced incredible results, there is no doubt that DMSO can be life-changing.

My hope is that more people, including doctors, realize its potential and demand better access to a remarkably safe and surprisingly effective therapy. Researchers who have worked with DMSO for decades still believe that if it became a standard of care, it would completely reshape how we treat injuries, chronic pain, and many other conditions… offering a promising future for patient care.