That Hurts!

by Lisa Schofield | July 1, 2024

Most people with pains great and small seek relief. Here’s how to help.

There isn’t a customer who walks through your doors who hasn’t been in some degree of pain. Barring catastrophic agony, there are the discomforts of cuts, bug bites, the occasional headache, muscle aches from overexertion and those dealing with chronic discomfort, such as backache and joint pain. “Among healthy adults who do not have a chronic inflammatory condition, such as arthritis, the most common types of pain are muscle aches and strains, tendon/ligament damage and headaches,” said Cheryl Myers, chief of scientific affairs and education, Wisconsin-based EuroPharma, Inc. (Terry Naturally).

But nobody has time for the pain, especially in today’s environment of too many responsibilities, and worries.

In fact, according to a new consumer survey conducted by Talker Research (formerly OnePoll) and commissioned by Ancestral Supplements, approximately one-third of Americans say they are in a constant state of discomfort. Three in 10 Americans say they haven’t had a pain-free day in more than a month, with 28 percent adding they feel some kind of pain every single day.

The April 2024 survey of 2,000 Americans also revealed that nearly half of respondents are dealing with some form of chronic pain, and 26 percent of those living with chronic pain have done so for 13 years or longer. The most common pains reported are in the legs (39 percent), neck (29 percent) and shoulders (29 percent).

The survey reveals that Americans are also willing to pay an average of $1,800 just to get answers on why they are feeling this way. To ease their daily ailments, many people turn to heating pads (39 percent), exercise (33 percent) and various supplements that don’t include their daily vitamins (25 percent). Respondents who use supplements to reduce discomfort take iron (19 percent), fish oil (17 percent), turmeric (16) and colostrum (10 percent), according to the survey. Additionally, 80 percent of those respondents with chronic pain are still looking for relief that works, and 78 percent of them are more likely to try natural remedies before surgery.

And, according to the survey, chronic discomfort causes other quality of life issues for which consumers seek comfort. When asked what frustrates them the most about living with chronic pain, Americans say their biggest frustrations include not feeling 100 percent like themselves (43 percent), being more tired than they used to be (30 percent), pain causing constant sleep disruptions (28 percent) and having to give up certain activities they love (27 percent).

Have Your Back: Common Pains

According to Deborah Kelly, director of public relations, Pennsylvania-based Boiron USA, everyone experiences some muscle pain and stiffness in their lives, and this is often due to physical work, play and fitness, and repetitive motion. “For many healthy adults, complaints of lower back pain, or discomfort associated with arthritis are common and one of the main reasons why someone might seek medical care or self-treat with an OTC (over-the-counter) pain reliever. This typically affects women more than men.”

Vanessa Pavey, ND, education scientist, Life Extension, Florida, stated that back discomfort is a very common complaint. In 2019, she cited, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reported that 39 percent of adults experience back pain (from the National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey). In March 2024, Life Extension conducted a survey and found 67 percent of respondents experience specifically lower back problems. Among the 3,120 respondents who report lower back problems, 80 percent experience lower back pain and 55 percent experience lower back stiffness. Life Extension also found 44 percent of respondents say they endure lower back problems every day. “Many are looking for safe and effective options—59 percent of respondents are looking for alleviation of lower back aches without side effects,” she noted.

Also pointing to lower back aches along with neck and joint pain as highly common is Amol Pathak, director, business and strategy, ENovate, Mumbai, India. He cited a 2021 paper which stated that chronic musculoskeletal pain affects approximately 37 percent of the U.S. population, with an economic impact of $635 billion per year. And in 2023, the WHO (World Health Organization) noted that lower back pain affected 619 million people globally, with an estimated increase of 843 million cases by 2050.

He observed, “Such pain seems to be stemming from unhealthy lifestyle behaviors especially sedentary daily routine and less physical activity. The most common sedentary behavior amongst adults is the time spent on television, computer and smartphones.”

According to a 2022 National Health Interview Survey more than one in five Americans experience pain on most days, or every day. “The most reported pain was from back, hip, knee or foot complaints and therapies that were most popular for alleviating the pain was physical therapy and massage,” observed Kim Plaza, senior technical advisor, ADM Protexin, Florida. She also agreed with Pathak, saying, “Over the years, our levels of physical activity have declined, with American adults spending an average of over seven hours a day being sedentary. Research is exploring whether sedentary behavior is associated with mobility issues, and some links have been found (especially when related to the workplace) and therefore as we become less active, we may find that more of us begin to develop aches and joint complaints.”

Overall Coping

There are trends in how adults are trying to reduce their aches and pains, with many become leerier of pharmaceuticals that can cause dependence, the need for increased dosage through time (tolerance buildup), and of course, the side effects that can derail activities.

The category of natural relief for discomfort has not remained static. Jamie Cotter, education director, WishGarden Herbs, Colorado, observed that in this category “we went from the turmeric craze to the CBD craze and now we’re seeing the natural evolution of understanding that there’s no magic bullet. This category seems to be settling into a new phase that embraces a wider array of remedies. I see this as a positive for retailers and staff to support their customers in understanding what’s best for them as an individual and how different supplements may work together to optimize results.”

Pavey said that in 2020, consumers were focused on natural ingredients that provided fast relief for their minor but annoying aches and discomforts, particularly in the joints. “What we are seeing now in current trends are consumers looking for support for specific body areas, like the lower back.”

Homeopathy has its fans, and more are climbing aboard; homeopathic remedies are especially suited for relieving physical discomforts, according to Kelly, who noted that consumers want to avoid the side effects and interactions associated with OTCs. And within homeopathy, a perennial stalwart is Arnica montana, which Kelly said “has been used extensively for all types of pain “from minor bruises to back injuries, post-operative care, muscle aches and sprains. It’s the active ingredient in our Arnicare franchise that continues to be one of the fastest-growing brands in the external pain category,” she commented.

According to Plaza, the momentum of category growth may be the result of growing interest in following anti-inflammatory diets and lifestyles. People are learning that pro-inflammatory diets contain too much sugar, artificial ingredients, and are low in fiber and nutrients. Compounded with heightened stress in recent years and months, inflammation is more problematic.

“The most significant advancements in the past few years have occurred in anti-inflammatory ingredients—notably, curcumin and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) preparations; and ingredients targeted joint support, such as undenatured type II collagen and hydrolyzed collagen peptide preparations,” observed Gad Gilad, PhD, CEO, Nevada-based Gilad & Gilad. Additionally, neuropathic pain (nerve pain) is a growing area targeted by brands and in this area, agmatine-containing supplements are seeing interest, he added. According to GlobeNewswire, the global neuropathic pain market was estimated at $6.3 billion value in 2019 and is projected to reach $9.8 billion by 2027.

You may have more customers wanting to discuss how to manage neuropathies, and according to Gilad, more than 30 million people in the United States are living with neuropathies, which are dysfunctions of the nervous system resulting from primary damage to nerves. He explained, “Neuropathies are typically manifested in sensory, autonomic and motor malfunctions. Nerve pain is most prevalent affecting some two-thirds of those with neuropathy. It is a major cause of chronic pain and presents a significant burden to individuals by reducing productivity and quality of life.”

A Variety of Remedies & Solutions

Reducing aches and discomforts can be done through supplements and topical.

Terry Naturally offers a variety of products in both the Curamin and CuraMed lines that address occasional pain, according to Myers. The curcumin used by the company is enhanced via a patented process called BCM-95 that embeds turmeric essential oil into the curcumin flakes, and has more than 90 published studies, including many on pain relief. Terry Naturally’s BOS-10 (previously called Bospure) boswellia contains a minimum of 10 percent AKBA (the active) compared to unstandardized, which can have as little as 1 percent. Additionally, she pointed out, the BBAs, which interfere with AKBA’s anti-inflammatory activity, are reduced to less than 5 percent.

“These dual standardizations result in a powerful boswellia that is clinically and scientifically studied, in combination with curcumin and on its own,” Myers said. “We use this combination of BCM-95 Curcumin and BOS-10 boswellia as the backbone of all our pain products.”

She added that an example of a clinical study demonstrating pain-management ability of this combination compared the blend to the prescription drug celecoxib for osteoarthritis of the knee in 28 participants. “The herbal combo was equal to or superior to the drug in every assessment,” Myers reported.

According to Gilad, Gilad&Gilad’s AgmaSet is effective in alleviating nerve pain and improving health-related quality of life by providing high dosage (450 mg) of the neuroprotective nutraceutical ingredient G-Agmatine, agmatine, a metabolite of the amino acid arginine. The recommended dose is 2.7 grams per day taken as three capsules twice daily (or two capsules three times daily), for as-long-as needed. “The beneficial effects may be experienced within two to four days but can take as long as four to six weeks depending on the type and duration of the condition,” he said.

Boiron’s Arnicare topicals (gel and cream) are formulated with arnica to relieve muscle pain, stiffness and swelling from bruises. “Homeopathic Arnica is widely used for everyday pain from housework or gardening, working out or stiffness from sitting too long for work or travel,” described Kate Hill, senior product manager. “Women who bruise easily can use it for unsightly marks on legs and arms. Cosmetic surgeons also recommend it to their patients to reduce swelling and bruising from all types of procedures.”

She added that Boiron’s Arnicare brand also includes meltaway tablets and pellets designed to dissolve in the mouth without water. The newest additions to the Arnicare line are Arnicare Arthritis Cream and Arnicare Leg Cramps PM meltaway tablets. Arnicare Arthritis Cream’s dual action formula is said to provide temporary relief of minor arthritis pain and Arnicare Leg Cramps PM targets cramps in the legs, thighs, calves, feet and toes occurring at night. “This unique formula combines the power of Arnica and other pure active ingredients to provide muscle cramp relief and aid in falling back to sleep,” said Hill.

Life Extension is focusing on the clinically studied combination of Chinese chaste tree and ginger extracts to help alleviate lower back discomfort by targeting enzymes that promote inflammation, according to Pavey. She explained that Chinese chaste tree and ginger inhibit COX-2 and 5-LOX enzyme activity to help manage inflammation, and Chinese chaste tree also reduces the activity of xanthine oxidase which produces uric acid as a waste product. “Higher levels of uric acid can cause problems not only for the joints, but also the kidneys,” she said.

Pavey noted that 200 mg per day of both Chinese chaste tree and ginger helps target inflammation, oxidative stress and uric acid to produce an analgesic effect in as little as seven days, with best effects felt after 30 days of supplementation. “Together, Chinese chaste tree and ginger extracts help relieve lower back discomfort, alleviate lower back stiffness and promote lower back flexibility and range-of-motion to enhance overall quality of life,” she noted.

ADM/Protexin’s Bio-Kult Everyday featuring 14 probiotic strains can support anti-inflammatory pathways through supporting gut barrier function, according to Plaza.

Also supporting healthy inflammatory response to lessen discomfort is WishGarden’s Serious Relaxer formula. “This blend works through the nervous system to support relief from stress-related muscular tension,” said Cotter. “We call this formula ‘hot tub in a bottle,’ because it’s so good at working quickly to melt tension. Personally, I always travel with Serious Relaxer. It’s a lifesaver when planes, cars and hotels are making my body ache and I want to avoid the glass of wine cure,” she said.

WishGarden’s Tart Cherry tincture also supports inflammatory balance as well as anti-oxidant pathways, according to Cotter. It’s one of the best supplements for both sleep health and muscle recovery.

HealthAid America, California also offers several products geared toward managing inflammatory response to reduce discomfort, according to Slawomir Gromadzki, MPH, new product development coordinator.

Curcumin 3 is HealthAid America’s curcumin product, which Gromadzki said has “potent anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to decrease inflammation. HealthAid standardized Curcumin 3 is in its purest and concentrated form providing 95 percent of active curcuminoids especially its three main chemical compounds combined with the highest quality of Piperine extract.”

New from ingredient-supplier ENovate is Muvz to address what Pathak called “the latent category of low back pain and stiffness” which is estimated to affect 619 million people and is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. MUVZ, with two human clinical studies in 2023 and one in 2024, is a proprietary blend of phytoactives from Vitex negundo leaves and Zingiber officinale oleoresin that has been clinically tested to relieve lower back discomfort, exercise induced knee pain and enhance overall quality of life, he reported.

Pathak explained, “Muvz works through multiple pathways related to muscle relaxing (for non-specific pain relief), non-selective COX inhibition (anti-inflammatory), TGF- β inhibition (prevention of mechanical damage) as well as a Vanilloid (TRPV1) Competitive Agonist (for Central Pain Desensitization).”

This category is perennial as it affects every customer and their families. Ensuring you have a wide array of supplements and topicals will be quite the relief!VR