MSM for Back Pain

5 star (3) 
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Richard G (Colorado) on 05/25/2015:
5 out of 5 stars

Hi! I also take MSM - about 5 grams a day, as well as Vitamen C (3g/day), turmeric, cayenne and much more. And I've had chronic severe back pain and depression and dizziness and other symptoms for a long time. Yet, in the past year, all of my symptoms have improved, and I think it's because of a change in my philosophies and practices. You see, none of the supplements can work if they can't get to the sites that need them, even when we take large doses. And helping agents can only get to these sites if they have adequate blood flow. So I've made it a practice to do lots of simple exercise repetitions to enforce good blood flow, and let my body take care of the rest. For example, when I lie down, sometimes my stomach can burn like crazy. And I also feel a big knot in my back. So, to bring blood flow to the area, I simply stand up and swing my arms from over my head to down behind my back from 100 to 300 times. The idea is to move my back muscles with a fairly gentle exercise to get all of the fluids moving there. Moving fluids = toxins moving out = beneficial elements moving in = body heals itself. I do this with the various parts of my body that suffer pains, and voila, the pain subsides and even heals over time. I hope you try this and it works for you. It takes creativity and inventiveness to determine the best simple movements to increase the blood flow. Yoga is a good resource for finding movements to repeat over and over.
REPLY   7      

Pickle (Boston, MA) on 11/05/2014:
5 out of 5 stars

I'm a 44 year old active mom that loves to do hard work in the garden, bike ride, hike, etc. I am generally healthy, but had a small accident when I was 27. Diagnosed with a ruptured L4. I managed it well though my 30's & pregnancies. When I hit 40, it started to give me trouble. Worse in the past 2 years, esp after a physical therapist did a move on me that sent it into a new stratosphere of pain. A year of painful hell followed. I rehabbed myself after bad advice/treatments from spine drs, orthopedist, physiatrists, chiropractors, acupuncture, and a poorly administered cortisone shot. Trigger point therapy helped a TON. However, I have residual chronic low back pain. I don't like RX opioids, Advil, etc. I am a clean eater - lots of organic fruits, veggies, local meat/eggs/chicken/dairy, filtered water. I've been the same weight for 20 years (5'6,125 lbs) I supplement with probiotics, calcium, zinc, selenium, magnesium, B complex, Vit C with rosehips, those kinds. Nothing too exotic. No juices or sodas for me, one 8 oz cup of coffee a day. No real alcohol consumption.

I read an article on MSM and how it can help manage inflammation. I had a tub of MSM sitting around for a year and would take 1000 mg a day with NO relief. I gave it up. Another useless supplement...UNTIL!

I read another article 2 weeks ago about how you need to really UP your dose to relieve chronic inflammation. So I did.

I could not BELIEVE how much relief I have gotten in the past 2 weeks from 6000-8000 mg of MSM a day (with Vit C for better absorption). No side effects, really.

I am angry that not one single doctor, specialist, PT, etc., ever suggested trying this. Pushing tramadol and valium, ugh! I would be an addict now if not for MSM! I sent my mom a tub, hope she gets some relief from her chronic back pain.

Give it a try, you have nothing to lose with this one. Great book by Dr. Jacob Stanley on it, google it.

REPLY   24      

Kim (Sussex, England) on 08/24/2008:
5 out of 5 stars

I have taken MSM for years which has helped me with the pain of arthritis. Last year I recommended MSM to an elderly man who drives a tractor who was hunched over when he stood up and seemed to be in pain (though loathe to admit it). I saw him again recently and noticed that he had changed from being bent over to standing fairly straight. I remarked upon this and he said that he was taking MSM every day and that he felt much better.
REPLY   11      
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