MSM is marketed with a variety of claims, but predominately for helping to treat or prevent osteoarthritis. Methylsulfonylmethane supplements used at 1.5-6gms/day have scant clinical support that shows it works to alleviate pain, but it appears safe in the short term (12 weeks). MSM is structurally related to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a solvent once used as a topically applied pain reliever, but acts differently in the body. Some researchers suggest MSM may work as an anti-inflammatory but most agree that MSM claims far surpass the science.