Moving Toward Pain Free

by Eric Munson | December 1, 2023

Consumers want fast-acting natural solutions backed by clinical research.

Whether acute or chronic, most people have suffered from pain and/or inflammation at some point in their lives.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021, 20.9 percent of adults experienced chronic pain (pain lasting at least three months) and 6.9 percent experienced high-impact chronic pain (chronic pain resulting in a significant restriction to daily activities).

A Time magazine article from April 2023 says inflammation may be a common denominator in humanity’s top killers such as heart disease, stroke and cancer. For example, half of all heart attacks are in people with normal cholesterol levels.

Regardless of age, demographic or health, many consumers are investing more time, energy and money into natural products for pain and inflammation relief.

Several industry executives and manufacturers offered their opinions on consumer trends, the future of the market and the myriad ingredients and products available for pain and inflammation relief.

An Observation on Market Trends

According to Jim Roza, chief scientific officer of Layn Natural Ingredients (Irvine, CA), the market for pain and inflammation ingredients is expected to grow with a CAGR of around four percent through 2023. The market in the United States was valued at $78 billion in 2022, he noted.

Annie Eng, CEO of HP Ingredients (Bradenton, FL), observed that the market for natural pain relief solutions is skyrocketing because consumers are more conscious of the adverse effects of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

Consumers who are otherwise healthy tend to experience musculoskeletal issues such as muscle soreness and joint aches with age and use, Eng said.

“Add in the fact that adults are more active as the knowledge that exercise, and regular physical activity contributes greatly to health and longevity,” Eng said. “The downside, however, is often sore muscles and in large joints (depending on the sport or activity).”

A 2023 report from the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) showed gyms had a 25 percent growth in traffic since 2022. The global online and virtual fitness markets are expected to reach an estimated $59 billion, according to Globe Newswire.

According to Shil Kothari, CEO of IminoTech, Inc. (Carson City, NV), systemic and chronic inflammation is contributing to many health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

“The market for natural pain and inflammation solutions is expanding rapidly as consumers become increasingly aware of natural alternatives,” Kothari said. “More consumers are taking a holistic approach to health solutions and are concerned about long-term use of pharmaceuticals and their potential side effects.”

Rajat Shah, co-founder and executive director of Nutriventia (India), said that healthy people experience numerous types of pain, but notably soreness, pulled muscles and joint aches are more common.

“The good news is that it appears more people are not as quick to take an NSAID or other OTC (over-the-counter), but are more inclined to seek out natural products, both supplements and topicals,” Shah said.

Abdul Alkayali, vice president of sales and marketing of Certified Nutraceuticals (Temecula, CA), believes the market for natural pain and inflammation remedies is linked with several factors including healthy aging, joint health and active nutrition.

“We predict that as health-conscious mindsets increase, more and more consumers will seek natural products for the treatment and prevention of pain and inflammation,” Alkayali said.

According to Alkayali, there is also an increasing demand for non-pharmaceutical interventions.

“Ingredient manufacturers increasingly target the healthy aging market because of the growing need among older consumers for products that effectively address chronic pain and inflammation issues,” Alkayali said.

Dr. Michael Lelah, chief science officer for NutriScience Innovations, LLC (Milford, CT) said pain reduction has always been the “holy grail” for the supplement industry.

“The problem is consumer expectations,” Lelah said. “Consumers want pain relief within the hour, like Tylenol and Advil. However, natural ingredients don’t work like that—they take time—days, weeks to have an effect.”

Roza added that consumers are looking for products that can produce results in a brief timeframe while also being experiential. They also want to see the science and research while looking for products that rely on efficacious dosages, he said.

“I see a paring down of ingredients in formulas, so they are not obfuscated with a lot of ‘fairy dust,’ ancillary components, or ineffective amounts of ingredients included simply for label claim,” Roza said.

According to Lelah, the industry has migrated toward more inflammation relief products. Many of these anti-inflammatory products have been developed from modulating biochemical pathways. In vitro studies showed these modulations don’t always work in the body because of the body’s many mechanisms and pathways, he went on to say.

Shah also said the relationship between inflammation with sleep and mood “cannot be ignored.”

“Think about it: discomfort leads to low mood and increased stress,” Shah said. “We believe no pain/inflammation formula should be without ingredients or a partner product to address this.”

The Most Common Afflictions

Lelah said that back pain relief and joint pain are two of the most common kinds of pain. Other kinds of pain include headaches, migraines and muscle pain. Eng agrees that muscle soreness, joint pain and other musculoskeletal issues are the primary conditions.

“However, chronic inflammation can lead to a wide range of health problems, including arthritis, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, cancer, obesity and skin disorders,” Alkayali said. “Consumers will continue to seek relief from these wide-ranging health conditions.”

Roza said that people continue to seek natural alternatives to opioids and NSAIDs and believes the sales of such products will continue to be robust. He said that with a higher prevalence of maladies such as diabetes and fibromyalgia affecting younger people, pain relief cannot be confined to just an older population.

“As human lifespan continues to rise and the desire to stay healthy and fit through one’s later years is of the utmost importance, joint integrity and mobility along with stress relief are a high priority,” Roza said.

Kothari said inflammation may be a contributing factor or symptom of numerous health conditions.

“So, consumer demand for pain and inflammation ingredients spans numerous product categories, including health aging, joint and sports health, metabolic wellness and weight management,” Kothari said.

Innovations in the Ingredient Industry

To produce optimal and quality relief for consumers, ingredient manufacturers observe the trends in the industry, particularly focusing on innovation and new ingredient development.

Roza said some of the top ingredients in this category include turmeric, curcuminoids, SAMe, boswellia, MSM and glucosamine. Other ingredients include chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, according to Alkayali.

Alkayali said collagens have become increasingly popular in recent months for joint care and injury, particularly for youth in sports.

“Collagens are one of the largest and fastest growing ingredients categories for joint pain and inflammation because they address the fundamental causes, such as joint injury or age-related degradation,” Alkayali said.

Kothari said pain and inflammation often involve complex physiological pathways, leading to an increase in combination formulas, which are supplements made from multiple ingredients.

“Combining multiple functional ingredients that target distinct pain and inflammatory pathways may be a more holistic approach to providing broader relief,” Kothari said. “Complementary mechanisms of action can create synergies that enhance overall efficacy.”

According to Shah, one of the significant trends in the industry is reducing the size of effective doses and in a sustained-release delivery. Consumers are busier than ever and value the convenience of one daily supplementation, Shah said.

“Providing muscle and joint relief in one pill in one small effective dose per day fulfills consumer requirements and increases their compliance,” Shah said.

Alkayali believes innovation, sustainability and a holistic approach to health and wellness will result in new functional ingredients and effective natural remedies.

“It is difficult to overstate the significant role inflammation plays in many health conditions, or as a cause or an effect,” Alkayali said. “Inflammation is a natural response of the immune system to injury and infection. It is a vital part of the body’s defense mechanisms and helps the healing process.”

Ingredient Offerings

Suppliers are offering myriad ingredient products to address several aspects of pain.

HP Ingredients recently launched its Andrographis paniculata trademarked as QuantumActiv ParActin. This product goes through a proprietary process that significantly enhances the transdermal skin permeation of andrographolide, Eng said.

Eng said that there have been numerous studies on andrographis and its role on neural health.

“In the [studies], researchers focus on the molecular mechanisms expressed by A. paniculata and its primary active constituent, andrographolide, on modulating biochemical processes of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation,” Eng said.

Layn is the manufacturer of SophorOx, which helps to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. SophorOx also restricts the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that cause pain and discomfort, according to Roza.

Nutriventia is the manufacturer of TurmXTRA 60N, a water-dispersible turmeric root extract. It provides joint and muscle recovery benefits for the sports and active nutrition industry, according to Shah.

In one study, participants consumed 250 mg of TurmXTRA and improved in VAS score and inflammation biomarker profiles. In another study, TurmXTRA was found to significantly reduce the intensity of muscle soreness, 48 hours after exercise by almost six times, Shah said.

TurmXTRA also helped to improve well-being such as mood and sleep while also reducing stress and fatigue, Shah noted.

Certified Nutraceuticals manufactures TendoGuard, which improves range of motion, general pain and muscle strength from 750 mg daily, Alkayali said.

TendoGuard is a blend of avian sternum and eggshell membranes that delivers collagen types I, II, V and VI to maximize bone, cartilage and tissue repair. Combining different collagen types creates collagen peptides which can restore articular cartilage, tendons and ligaments, Alkayali said.

Certified Nutraceuticals also produces KollaGenI.V.X., which is a blend of collagen types I, V and X, extracted from eggshell membranes to support bone, skin and connective tissue.

The special hydrolyzation technology allows extraction and purification of collagens while also preserving natural mucopolysaccharides such as hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and chondroitin, according to Alkayali.

IminoTech manufactures Q-actin, which is part of an emerging class of ingredients called iminosugars. These are a type of sugar where a nitrogen atom replaces the oxygen atom in the atomic structure. This small change can disrupt or restore certain cellular functions, giving iminosugars unique beneficial properties, Kothil said.

Q-actin significantly reduces joint discomfort and improves movement and function. Research shows a reduction in LPS-induced tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-α), an inflammatory cytokine that can increase metalloproteinases, enzymes that break down cartilage. Clinical research supports a low 20 mg daily serving size of Q-actin, Kothari said.

More Clinical Research Is Required

Industry experts are observing an increased demand for products backed by clinical studies, research and trials. Specifically, there is a greater reliance on human studies to support supplement claims, Roza said.

“In-vitro and animal studies are good for showing some proof of concept, but human clinical trials [are] where the rubber meets the road,” Roza said. “Anecdotal and folkloric evidence while interesting are not enough to establish efficacy.”

Lelah also agrees that clinical studies will drive interest and allow consumers to gain more confidence in these products. He believes clinically studied ingredients will be the future of pain and inflammation relief. He reiterated that speed should be an integral part of ingredient research.

“Time is a valuable resource and if products don’t work quickly or effectively, consumers won’t use or buy them,” Lelah said. “Consumers are very impatient when it comes to pain relief—they have been conditioned by the pharmaceutical industry to expect relief in hours.”

Kothari also agrees that clinical studies are important, but both placebo-controlled trials and comparative studies should be used in conjunction to evaluate the various ingredients against each other.

“Also crucial are preclinical mechanism of action studies that illuminate the bioactive pathways through which an ingredient confers health benefits,” Kothari said. “Safety studies, including clinical assessments and comprehensive 90-day toxicology studies, are an essential part of any ingredient’s GRAS (generally recognized as safe) dossier.”

A Lack of Communication

However, one of the major issues in the industry is a lack of communication with consumers. Part of this is the regulations on the dietary supplement industry, according to Lelah.

For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only allows claims, such as “provides temporary relief from pain due to exercise,” Lelah said.

“The FDA also rejects imagery, such as joint with redness and lightning bolts emitting from the join,” Lelah said. “This makes communicating with consumers very difficult for brands in this category.”

Alkayali added that due to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), ingredient manufacturers need to be careful with how they promote, state and emphasize product claims.

“Instead of emphasizing a reduction in inflammation and pain, it is essential to frame product claims in promoting healthy function of bodily systems, such as joint or cardiovascular health, and overall well-being,” Alkayali said.

Conclusion

Pain and inflammation can lead to a plethora of health problems, so ingredient suppliers are on the lookout for consumer solutions. As long as the products work quickly and are supported by science, the natural pain relief supplement industry will continue to climb. NIE