Joey, Phiten is snake oil. That doesn't mean it can't work, only that if it does work it isn't because it's balancing your bodies humors. It's because it's helping to kick start that most powerful of systems, the mind. My guess is that it would alleviate any pain in Bob Jewett's body or make him stronger but some folks could probably jump out of their wheelchairs after using it and break chains.
As far as weight seeming lighter after using it, consider this: if it had any effect, any effect whatsoever, there wouldn't be a powerlifter alive who didn't use this. How many times have you been in the gym and seen some monster doing sets and fail, only to have his spotter "remove" a plate and scream at him to get him to lift more? Heck, I've seen guys add weight and get the lifter to do more. Okay, I've done it myself.
DMSO (dimethylsufloxide) is an industrial solvent. I strongly recommend you don't use it on your body. It has the distinguishing characteristic of being absorbed almost immediately into your blood stream. In the 80s it was quite popular, as were things such as massive vitamin B injections (prior to bodybuilders OD'ing on B-complex vitamins we believed that it was impossible, since they are water soluble) and other foolhardy practices (now we have a whole host of new foolhardy practices).
Some people would administer analgesics via DMSO. By crushing say, an aspiring, then dabbing it onto the affected area with a DMSO dampened Q-tip immediate relief would be afforded (at a cost of having your liver metaphorically kicked in its ass). There was an episode of Quincy, ME wherein a guy was poisoned by having deadly snake venom mixed with DMSO applied to his steering wheel. As farfetched as it was, I'm pretty sure you could knock off someone in my small town this way and never get caught...