A significant help with pain...hopefully helps some with healing
I first learned of DMSO from our teenage son's college running coach.  As an athlete who runs over 100 miles a week, our kid was frequently dealing with pains and injuries from his workouts.  When knee or ankle pain didn't ease up after a few days (and serious injury had been ruled out by orthopedists), the trainers would break out the DMSO.<br /><br />Since then, I've used it on my own running-injured knee occasionally when the pain becomes too bad.  After applying, the area remains wet and a bit sticky for about 20-30 minutes (remember to wash your hands thoroughly after rubbing it in).  After this amount of time, you can wipe off any excess that hasn't been absorbed by your body.  During this time, the area usually becomes warm, a bit rosy, and itchy.  I also get a garlic taste in my mouth which is typical for most people.  For those people who use it frequently, their bodies can begin to emit a garlic-like odor in their sweat.<br /><br />DMSO is a by-product of paper making and is primarily used as an industrial solvent for herbicides, fungicides, antibiotics, and plant hormones.  It's had experimental use orally as treatment for certain types of cancer.  At this time, it does NOT have the approval of the FDA for use on humans other than as a specific physician-prescribed treatment for bladder disorder/cancer.  It is FDA approved for use on horses and dogs, and is widely used in that industry.<br /><br />It's important to note that the face and neck are more sensitive to DMSO and no higher concentrations than 50% should ever be applied there.  Also, when applying DMSO to your skin, it's important that the skin is *totally* clean, dry, and unbroken because DMSO penetrates the body.  As it penetrates, DMSO can carry any chemical that has a molecular weight of up to 1,000 units right through the skin and into the body, into the blood stream, and even through the blood-brain barrier. It also leaves the skin more permeable than normal for a few hours. There is a possibility that chemicals such as the dye from clothing in contact with DMSO-treated skin could be accidentally passed through the skin and carried directly into the body.<br /><br />While I do generally experience pain relief when I use DMSO, I usually save it for when my knee is at its worst.
Rating: 4 stars