When DMSO was first pushed as an arthritis treatment 30+ years ago, the US FDA promptly banned it's usage for humans citing lack of proper testing and industrial impurities in the DMSO then available. Some people swore it gave them powerful relief and a DMSO black market developed.

I see some DMSO lotions and sprays are available OTC and online in Thailand. An online search reveals warnings about impurities and possible skin rashes but nothing really dangerous.

Anybody here have experience with local DMSO lotions or sprays? How effective were they? Is there a wide variety in what works and what doesn't? Any Recommended trade names?

I think the main risk, other than impure versions (industrial), is the fact that it is a powerful solvent capable of "carrying" anything it dissolves into the skin and then into the bloodstream.

Under controlled conditions, applied in a clinical setting it might do the job.....but is it worth the risk?

There is not so much good evidence for beneficial effects of DMSO, and potential for toxicity effects if concentration is too high. Anti-oxidants seems to be far more effective. This answer is based on a quick look at pubmed.gov database of scientific papers.

The only current supplement that has scientific tests that show improvement is collagen. All the rest are snake oil and some, namely Glucosamine and Chondroitin have been shown to be detrimental, even being a cause of dementia.

Cartilage doesn't have blood flow.

It gets it's nutrients via sinovial fluid.

Compression, physical activity.

Your joints are suffering from your sedentary lifestyle ✅

Back in the early 70's I knew a guy who got all excited when he learned about DMSO.

He planned to mix LSD with DMSO and put a few drops on top of his head.
I wonder what ever happened to him?

I use “Counterpain Plus” for Osteoarthritis. It’s a Anti-Inflammatory & Analgesic Gel. You can buy it over the counter. It works well for me

I had a chronic elbow tendonitis which had dragged on for almost a year and seemed impossible to cure.
A friend suggested DMSO mixed with castor oil, and I got rid of it in a few days. Very effective, but you need to manipulate it with care as it will carry anything straight into your bloodstream. You also need to be equipped and willing to understand that the mainstream media articles telling you it is better to take NSAIDs are not necessarily telling the truth.

This article is a good introduction:

https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/dmso-is-a-miraculous-therapy-for