Rub out even the toughest spasms with a single mineral Q: My sister has severe multiple sclerosis and suffers from almost continual muscle spasms. Her doctor wants to put her on Valium to help control them, but I would like to know if there are any natural therapies that might help. Thank you in advance for any help or information you can offer. JVW: Magnesium is an ideal, nontoxic, natural symptom reliever for muscle spasms that can otherwise be difficult to cure. In cases like your sister's where the spasm isn't caused by a nutrient deficiency, the magnesium can be applied as a cream directly to the affected muscle or muscles. I recommend using magnesium and DMSO (dimethylsulfoxide) that have been blended into a cream. Vigorously rub the cream over the affected muscle for two to three minutes several times daily. The DMSO helps transport the magnesium through the skin directly into the affected muscle. Although magnesium-DMSO is quite safe, right now it's only made by compounding pharmacies, so you'll need a prescription to get it. I've noticed a definite difference in the quality of magnesium-DMSO products. They can range from runny and watery, which is harder to use and control, to almost glue-like, which seems to take forever to disappear into the muscle. The best one I've seen so far is from Key Pharmacy (800-878-1322, www.keynutritionrx.com), in Kent, Washington. What is...DMSO? DMSO, or dimethyl sulfoxide, is a natural solvent that can be combined with other nutrients and substances in order to help transport them through the skin into the body. | 
