MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and bones & joints
What 4 graded rows on msm (methylsulfonylmethane) agree on for bones & joints, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and bones & joints
4 rows · 367 peopleMostly an improvement: 3 of 4 rows, and most of the people. 1 found no difference.
- CGrade C× 4
- Rows
- 4
- Trials
- 4
- People
- 367
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a randomized trial of 180 people (2017) and found no difference.
The row that found no difference was larger: 180 people, against a median of 50 people for the 3 rows that found an improvement.
The 3 rows that found an improvement ran longer (3 months) than the row that found no difference (8 weeks).
Only the 3 rows that found an improvement name women and men in their population. Only the row that found no difference names athletes or trained people in its population.
The rows
3 improved · 1 no difference- CGrade CKnee quality-of-life score in mild knee pain · Improved
RCT · n 88 · 2023 · Healthy Japanese adults with mild knee pain
2 g/day (10 × 200 mg tablets) · 12 weeks
Total Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure score at 12 weeks was better with MSM than placebo (p = 0.046).
Row on the MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) page · PubMed 37447322 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CKnee osteoarthritis pain and physical function · Improved
Pilot RCT · n 50 · 2006 · Men and women aged 40–76 with knee osteoarthritis pain
3 g twice a day (6 g/day) · 12 weeks
WOMAC pain and physical-function scores fell more than with placebo, and SF-36 daily-activity scores improved; no major adverse events.
Row on the MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) page · PubMed 16309928 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CKnee osteoarthritis pain and physical function · Improved
RCT · n 49 · 2011 · Men and women aged 45–90 with radiographic knee osteoarthritis
1.125 g three times a day (3.375 g/day) · 12 weeks
WOMAC physical function and total scores improved more than with placebo; WOMAC pain and stiffness differences were not significant (p = 0.08). The authors called the improvements small and of uncertain clinical significance.
Row on the MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) page · PubMed 21708034 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CKnee pain and function during military training · No difference
RCT · n 180 · 2017 · Healthy US military trainees aged 18–40
3 g/day · 8 weeks
No significant improvement in any of the 5 KOOS knee subscales or 6 mood (POMS) subscales at 30 or 60 days; MSM was used safely.
Row on the MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) page · PubMed 29214616 (opens PubMed)