Evidence supporting the use of: MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
For the health condition: Fibromyalgia Syndrome

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 1

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is sometimes used as a dietary supplement by people with fibromyalgia, primarily for its purported anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. However, the scientific evidence supporting its use for fibromyalgia syndrome is very limited. Most studies involving MSM focus on its use for osteoarthritis, joint pain, and exercise recovery, and only a handful have addressed its potential benefits in fibromyalgia specifically.

A small open-label pilot study published in 2011 (Kim et al., Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain) examined MSM in combination with magnesium in fibromyalgia patients and reported some improvement in pain, but the study design was weak, lacking a placebo control and having a small sample size. There are no large, high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that directly evaluate the efficacy of MSM in treating fibromyalgia symptoms.

Systematic reviews of supplements for fibromyalgia generally do not highlight MSM as an evidence-based option. Most major clinical guidelines do not recommend MSM for fibromyalgia due to insufficient evidence. Therefore, while MSM is sometimes used in practice based on a theoretical rationale and extrapolation from pain studies, the scientific support for its effectiveness in fibromyalgia is minimal.

In summary, MSM's use for fibromyalgia is justified more by limited, low-quality scientific exploration and anecdotal reports than by robust scientific validation.

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