Borax Topical Application for Rapid Pain Relief and Help for Arthritis

Hi

Love the idea of applying borax and DMSO to painful joints. Is there any way they could be made into a salve?

I took 1/8 teaspoonful of borax for a long time but it did not help with the pain. I'd be interested to learn if other Earth Clinic readers have success with the Borax/DMSO mixture.

Michael,

It is 1/4 teaspoon of Borax dissolved in one liter of water. Sip this liter throughout the day until finished. Repeat for 4 days and then take three days off. I take it on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then take Friday, Saturday and Sunday off from Borax. I don't bother refrigerating between uses, I just keep it where I can see it so I am reminded to sip it every so often. Borax goes through the system fairly quickly and the 3 days off should allow your body to eliminate any excess amounts. This has worked very well for me for a very long time to keep my arthritis in remission. Thank goodness Ted shared this remedy with us while he was here!

Art

Hi Deirdre,

A level full US tablespoon of Borax will saturate an 8 ounce cup of distilled water at room temperature if you don't happen to have a magnetic stirrer handy. If there is any undissolved particles left at the bottom, just filter them out with a coffee filter or similar. This will eliminate the potential for the hard crystals to develop later and you have a saturated solution of Borax now and don't have to heat the water.

Art

Michael,

Several common and useful items for calcifications in soft tissue are bioavailable forms of oral magnesium and also mag oil applied directly to the area of suspected calcifications, Vitamin K2 Menaquinone 7 and Chanca Piedra.

Art

The borax in distilled hot water, when hand-shaken to dissolve, ends up at the bottom of the bottle after a day or two. I reached the end of my first 4 oz bottle tonight, so for my 2nd batch, I used my magnetic stirrer ($20-30 on Amazon) to dissolve the borax in near boiling distilled water. Takes only seconds to dissolve with the magnetic stirrer. I used a small, 250 ml glass beaker (also available on Amazon) and then transferred the solution to my 4 oz bottle.

If you end up using this new topical method instead of drinking it, this is the way to go. Actually, it's also a good method to use for Ted's internal borax remedy! Perfectly dissolved borax.

P.S. Make sure to buy good stirring magnets as well as the stirrer from a science store. Most magnetic stirrers don't come with magnets or if they do, they are cheap and start to crack after a few uses in my experience.

Good day Deirdre,

Would your DMSO/Borax method assist with treating Calcification of the Muscles (Calcium deposits where they ought not to be)?

Your interesting experiment sounds as if it might prove useful!

Sometimes physiotherapists USED to use ultra-sonic device to do this but seem reluctant to do so these days!

Calcification might need a new section (within Arthritis) of EC maybe - just a suggestion.

Cheers from Down Under

M

Thank you so much Art for taking so much time on my behalf. I feel that such a comprehensive post will surely benefit others too! I am not too well at the moment but will get back to you later on if I may. In the meantime... as I understand things, one dilutes the quarter teaspoon of Borax as you suggest, place it in the fridge and sip from it during the day as you describe. Got that. OR is it that you are supposed to dilute it a second time immediately prior to drinking? I really ought to check up on Deirdre's video clip on the subject I suppose. In any event, I believe Borax is one of those things that one should ease into gradually (for most people). Cheers and thanks again. Michael

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the feedback! Glad to hear it's working so well and good to know about the addition of ionic magnesium. I will definitely try that.

I'm expanding the area where I am applying it to knees, hands, elbows, neck, and the entire low back. I find the increase in flexibility almost instantaneous now, which is really incredible. I went pretty hard at the gym yesterday with weight training, jogging, running and the step machine with the Kaatsu bands on (those bands make workouts REALLY HARD, let me tell you! ) and today had almost no joint pain. My hands are usually very painful after swinging the kettlebell around, but there was none of that yesterday after the workout.

I'm also using the solution on my 16 year old dog, who has very painful feet at this stage of his life. I apply it to his pads. 3rd day of doing this and I think there is an improvement. Will update in time.

Thank you for this Deirdre! I had been taking Borax orally for a week and noticed some relief from Sciatica. I followed your protocol and had some relief before 8 hours had passed. I continued this treatment morning and evening for 2 more days adding 1/8 tsp of ionic Magnesium to the recipe. This eliminated the pain entirely! I applied this 'formula' to the area where my Sciatic pain originates and down my leg with an extra pass on my knees. This has also helped with pain and stiffness in my knees. I am now on day 3 of no additional treatment as I try to determine the lasting effects of this treatment to put it into a periodic regimen. At this point in time still having no pain. Thanks again.

Michael,

In case you were wondering, I am using what you referred to as "laundry grade borax" as I buy my box of 20 Mule Team Borax in the laundry aisle of my local markets.

Art

Michael,

It may be possible to get Borax in your part of the world here :

https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=borax&_sacat=0

Regarding Boron, In a quarter teaspoon of Borax at roughly 950 mg of Borax, there is roughly 108 mg of Boron. So this would be an equivalent effective dose of Boron based on the amount of Boron in Borax. I am not a doctor so I can't tell you how much Boron to take, but I can tell you that the dose of Borax that Ted recommended contained approximately 108 mg of Boron while the dose of Boron Dr. Newnham used was around 12 mg, but that dose was insufficient for me and did not work while Ted's dosing recommendation worked for me relatively quickly. I guess that Dr. Newnham's dose could be considered as a starting dose and increase every two weeks until you get the reaction you are looking for. It would be a slower process than Ted's, but you might eventually find a dose that is effective.

If the problem with taking Borax is that it bothers your stomach, you can try two things to see if they help. Take a third of the Borax with breakfast, a third of the Borax with lunch and the last third with dinner or sip it throughout the day as Ted recommended. Mix your 1/4 teaspoon of Borax in a liter of water and sip that liter throughout the day so that there is never a lot of borax in your stomach at any time point during the day. Another option is to start with the 1/8th teaspoon dose in a liter of water sipped throughout the day.

Something to keep in mind when I am discussing arthritis and Borax is that my arthritis was "severe", so it took a full 1/4 teaspoon dose to get it into remission, but now with no symptoms, I could probably get by with the 1/8th teaspoon dose or maybe even less, but I do not care to experiment in that area as I am also trying to obtain all of the other benefits associated with Borax/Boron intake.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4712861/

As far as a timeframe for my recovery in my severe state at the time of starting Borax, I first was certain of initial benefit after 2 weeks as my hip pains started to reduce at that time, but other areas had not changed. At one month in I was significantly better in almost all joints and I can say at two months all pain was gone. Again, keep in mind I was severe and I think that is why some people report faster results as they may not have been as bad as me. It is also very important to remember That Dr. Newnham reported that in very long standing and or severe cases, it could take 3 to 4 months to reach maximum improvement. I think this is likely due to the fact that the body needs time to heal the damage and the damage itself can be pain causing, but this is just speculation on my part.

Regarding converting ounces(oz.) to ml, just use this converter to eliminate confusion :

https://www.google.com/search?q=convert+ounces+to+ml+calculator&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS601US601&oq=covert+ounces+to+ml&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0i10l7j0i10i22i30l2.11818j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

If your arthritis is confined to a few areas, Deirdre's DMSO/Borax topical should work well and quickly and is a very quick and easy method to see if you respond to Borax/boron as you hope to. It is also much less likely to cause gastro issues as you mentioned you have experienced with Borax taken orally, assuming that what you took was really Borax?

I hope that covers everything, Michael.

Art

Hi again Art,

I appreciate your latest post very much thank you.

My trouble was in procuring Borax in the first place- not sure where to source it over here. I had a small pottle but was not sure if it was "Food grade" or "Laundry grade"!

My stomach is normally fairly well behaved compared to most others I know but it does not tolerate Borax in the make up you mentioned and which is usually touted on EC.

Nor does it tolerate the anti-inflammatories from the chemist, so I am stuck between a rock and a hard place on that front.

I envy you the benefits you are gaining from your Borax treatment - well done! That you have been so consistent over many years and without experiencing side effects is wonderful. How long did it take to reap the benefits after commencement?

So you think I should increase my BORON intake by how much more than I am doing already? I was not too clear on that part of your message.

Also, mg and mcg? How do they differ? We have only been under the metric system for a few decades, so am still learning!! Was brought up under the Ye Olde English system of weights and measures.

BUT, another confusing thing on EC is the frequent reference to ounces of water in a glass - we are unfamiliar with that concept in NZ. (EC kindly note).

Cheers and thanks again.

M

Hi Michael,

The dose of Borax that has generally shown benefit for different forms of arthritis is 1/4 teaspoon for men and 1/8 teaspoon for women taken 4 days per week as per Ted's directions. I think Ted's idea was to take 3 days off per week in order to allow excess Borax to be easily eliminated during those 3 days.

So you would be taking 1/4 teaspoon of Borax for 4 days of the week for a total of 3.5 to 4 grams of Borax per week. A 1/4 teaspoon of Borax weighs in the 950 mg to 1000 mg range. So if Borax is 11.34% Boron and you want to take an equivalent dose of Boron to be similar to the amount of Boron in a 1/4 teaspoon of Borax, you would multiply 950 x .1134 = 107.73 or 108 mg of boron. This indicates that the doses of Boron you are considering are too low.

When I tried Boron at 3 mg, 6 mg, 12 mg, or 18 mg/day, I got zero benefit for relief of my severe psoriatic arthritis which was affecting every major joint in my body to the point that I was in constant pain and I could no longer lay flat on my back, but rather had to toss and turn and lay mainly on my sides resulting in very poor sleep which will always have a negative effect in your overall health. I could no longer get up from a squatting position and it basically always hurt to move. So I could no longer go for my daily walks or exercise.

When I moved up to the amount of Boron available in a 1/4 teaspoon of Borax, I simply became normal with no pain and that has remained for well over a decade. I Have stopped Borax completely at least twice. Each time over a period of months, the pain started coming back, but before it got to as bad as it was when I first started Borax, I started taking Borax again. When I read more about all of the benefits of Borax, I decided to take it 4 days per week for the rest of my life to try to obtain the other benefits associated with its use and not take vacations from its use except possibly when I go on vacation.

I realize I can possibly get by with less Borax, but my condition was severe enough where the doses Dr. Newnham was recommending were worthless for me, but I have not had any problem at this dose taken 4 days of the week, so I don't give it much thought. I think the reason that Ted suggested these doses is because it is high enough to elicit a fairly quick response while being low enough to not run into toxicity issues.

If you don't mind saying, Michael, what was the problem that you had with taking Borax?

I know from experience that some people simply do not tolerate Borax, but may be able to tolerate Boron as an alternative for arthritis.

Art

Thank you for your input Art,

I acknowledge that Borax is a favoured remedy on EC and many posters seem to have experienced relief by taking it orally (including your good self!).

Now Deirdre has had success by applying it topically with DMSO.

However, when I tried the "Borax in water protocol" I did not react well to it but may not have persevered sufficiently !

I have been actively seeking out and taking Boron though.

One product did not actually stipulate the amount of Boron the capsule contained but said it was in the form of "glycinate" (sp?). Sixty tabs cost me approximately twenty U.S. dollars, which is a bit steep even for over here!

The second had Boron as part of a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, which I still take once per day as recommended. It has Boron (chelated) at 50mg (weight) and 2.5mg (active).

My pill for Joints has (amongst other ingredients). Boron from sodium borate pentahydrate at 500 mcg. They recommend 2 tabs 2X / day with food but I have only been taking one!

I would be interested in learning your thoughts about whether you feel the amounts are sufficient I.e. both the last two together?

The apparent correlation of Arthritis sufferers and Borax/Boron in the soil is an interesting one.

Apparently Israel has little Arthritis as there is ample borax in their soil, whereas Jamaica and Western Australia are at opposite ends of the spectrum as it were with proportionally more sufferers. NZ is supposed to be OK in my neck of the woods but much of our food has traveled further that I have!

I have this week resorted to a "Turmeric Extra Strength" pill to try to cope with the pain and will hopefully reap results soon. I will let you know.

Having been trying to go gluten-free for three months with no benefit other than a bit of weight loss, I am now having to resort to a low-starch diet with all the bother and drama that that entails.

Good health to you Art,

Michael from Down Under

Hi Michael,

As a successful user of Borax for arthritis for well over a decade, I often recommend it and definitely orally if the arthritis is wide spread, but topically when it is confined to one or two areas of the body. Taken orally, it is also useful as an inhibitor of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis and likely useful for teeth.

The main person I have read about who actually started using Boron or Borax in his arthritic patients was Dr. Rex Newnham in Australia in the 1980's. Through epidemiological studies, he was able to determine that areas of the world that have soil with low boron content have higher levels of arthritis and areas with high boron soil content have lower levels of arthritis. Here is a link to info on him :

http://www.rexresearch.com/newnham/newnham.htm

Borax contains 11.34% boron. I have found that a high enough dose of Boron is as effective as Borax for arthritis. Not everyone is able to tolerate Borax and for those people, it is worth trying boron in supplemental form as sometimes those who do not tolerate Borax can tolerate Boron. It is an extremely inexpensive remedy for arthritis of different forms at just pennies per year. There has only been one study (2017) using Borax for arthritis that I am aware and it was successful but very limited in scope. Unfortunately, more human studies have not followed that one study which can be read at the following link :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5289089/

Given that the potential for profit on Borax is nil, I am doubtful that there will be more studies using it as a treatment for arthritis. The study link above was 5 years ago and it generated enough positive data to warrant a follow-up study at a minimum, but that has not happened.

Good luck!

Art

Thanks Frances,

I will check up on Walter Last as you suggest.

Cheers

Michael,

Walter Last has written articles on DMSO and borax available online.

Hi Lulu!

Please read my post at the top of the page with the instructions and feedback. I turned my original post into a new borax topical application remedies page on Earth Clinic so more people could try it. It's amazing... I can't tell you how much better my hands feel in only a few days with this simple remedy.

https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/topical-borax-application.html

Hi Deirdre!

How are you applying the Borax solution? Are you using a spray bottle?

Thank you!

I've been using DMSO for years and it's a wonderful product for eliminating pain! I will not be without this product and have told many people about it! I just read where it helped a women's facial skin clear up. I havent tried it but will tomorrow! I use a roll-on for convenience.

Hi Kay!

Yes, that's the one. Brand name is Heiltropfen.

Hi Deirdre, is this the legit product?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ZNV5N8U/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A2PX2L0QCHUUXO&psc=1 Just want to try the “correct” one.

I use this one and I have always been sure it is good because the first time I ordered it was in the fall and when I opened the package from inside my mail box it was crystalized ice already. https://www.amazon.com/DMSO-Bottle-99-995-Dimethyl-Sulfoxide/dp/B01BSYQ0XC?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Hi Marcie,

Yes, I read those DMSO reviews before I bought the product and I'm not sure they are legit. It's an excellent product. I've bought 6 bottles now and they have definitely solidified when left on the counter in my kitchen or bathroom when it got chilly at night with the temp down. I didn't even need the fridge test. I'm happy with this brand but there are plenty of other companies to choose from.

The few poor customer reviews from the link to the DMSO from Amazon, has me questioning the authenticity of the product. If the product didn't solidify when put into the refrig, is it really true pure DMSO? Just asking...

Thank you Deirdre,

Very useful information.

Am glad you are reaping the benefits of the topical Borax and DMSO.

Cheers,

Michael

Hi Teresa,

Yes, you could use tap water, but make sure it's filtered. At any rate, borax removes tap water's added fluoride from the body as one of its many benefits.

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your post. DMSO is very safe, been used by people for decades. You just have to use it on clean skin. There is a lot of information (and feedback from readers going back 15 years+ ) on Earth Clinic about DMSO so I've provided the link to our page article. https://www.earthclinic.com/supplements/dmso.html

But if you really want to learn all the uses for DMSO, get the book DMSO Nature's Healer by Dr. Morton Walker. Here's the book on Amazon. Fabulous read.

P.S. You should also read the Amazon reviews on various DMSO products. Here's the one I buy.

I hope you get relief, I was looking for a place to ask, do you know why Distilled Water? I know the reasons for most things I just wondered if you can use Tap water in a pinch.

Well done Deirdre,

I am very happy for you and for your sharing this with the EC Community.

Well done for your innovative discovery!

It would indeed appear to be a wonderful new weapon to include in the "Arthritis Toolbox" for many people who suffer horribly for this evil affliction, which can destroy their quality of life!

The medical profession usually send these people home with some pain-killers or anti-inflammatory pills! We should have got beyond that by now!

The only possible reservation I have, is a suspicion of the use of the DMSO in your recipe, and, whilst I realize that it may be essential for its efficacy, I am a trifle concerned at possible side effects? Are you able to elaborate on the safety of DMSO please? It being a "solvent" worries me a bit but I am unsure of the science behind that. Perhaps you would be kind enough to take the time to clear the issue up?

You are unfortunately a day late for an Oscar but you might get an Editor's Choice as a consolation prize I should hope.

Cheers from Down Under where the Autumn (Fall) Equinox has recently paid us a visit.

Thank you Deirdre! I use borax daily and it helps my knees but not my lower back pain (3 herniated discs). I will try your method daily to see if I get relief!