What is DMSO? [+ It’s Least-Known Benefits]

Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) is a medical substance that can be applied topically to the skin as a cream on its own or alongside other supplements. It easily penetrates membranes and is absorbed by tissues. It was first used as a pain medicine by Dr. Stanley Jacob in 1961 at Oregon Health Sciences University.

DMSO may relieve pain because it has a high sulphur content, a mineral that has been used since ancient times to relieve chronic pain and increase joint range of motion.

DMSO and Inflammation

In 1978, 213 people with inflammatory disorders in their lower body were involved in a study on DMSO. The majority of the patients hadn’t found any relief from conventional treatments, yet they reported significant relief from DMSO. This groundbreaking study led to further research into the effects of DMSO on arthritis.

DMSO and Arthritis

Studies on mice significantly helped with arthritis in studies, which showed that inflammation and white blood cell levels dropped when DMSO was applied to the skin around their joints.

Does DMSO Help With Mental Health?

Studies have explored the role of DMSO on mental health issues like schizophrenia, manic depression, anxiety and obsessive disorders. 

Keloid Scar Tissue and DMSO

Very early on in DMSO’s history (see below), it was discovered that this substance worked well for reducing inflammation in the skin. This then led on to investigating whether it could work well for scars by helping to break down keloid scar tissue, a scar tissue that is thick and raised. Sometimes it is larger than the original wound itself. In an animal study, DMSO reduced scars easily and safely. It is thought that it does this by softening the scar.

DMSO and Nervous System Trauma Care

Certain sources have reported that DMSO may be able to prevent permanent damage to the central nervous system if used within 90 minutes of a stroke. Back in 1971, the researcher Dr. de la Torre said that DMSO may be very helpful for stroke.

Wound Healing and DMSO

Many people are interested in DMSO’s wound healing powers. Studies on pressure ulcers have shown a reduction in pressure following the application of DMSO. More studies have also shown rapid healing of ulcers, along with decreased signs of inflammation.

DMSO’s Antiviral Effects

Appropriate right now is the potential antiviral effects of this substance. One study looked at the effect of DMSO on herpes simplex virus replication, and showed that it can reduce infectivity, replication and gene transcription function, which is the process by which genetic information is copied so it can enter new cells in your body.

The History of DMSO

Like so many other medicines, DMSO’s roots are in the late 19th century. In Germany, people were searching for a cheaper and more efficient way to make paper from wood pulp, and they tried using sulphide-containing compounds. During the process of making paper, those sulphides were converted into sulfoxides like DMSO. Since the 1960s, it has been extensively studied by chemists, who soon found out that DMSO can carry small molecules through a variety of barriers, including the skin and gut. One scientist, Dr. Stanley Jacob, found out in the early 1960s that DMSO works well for tissue/organ preservation, and later for dermatitis treatment and to help with a skin condition called cutaneous scleroderma. Its anti-inflammatory properties have attracted a lot of attention since then by many researchers, yet you may not have come across it.

I believe this amazing medicine is worth trying for yourself to determine its amazing benefits. Afterall, I stand for your health freedom, so you can have access and use the best supplements to support your health. You can find DMSO in our shop here, as well as our improved DMSO, Lavarnica–which is specifically designed for joint support, here.