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Nearly three quarters of the population suffer from back pain, and 50 per cent experience joint pain, but only six out of 10 take oral analgesics. Dawn Gay investigates what this means for the latest ‘topical’ trends

A demand for ‘alternative’ forms of pain and joint relief and moves encouraging patients towards
self-care have fuelled new developments in the topical analgesic market and the tendency to ‘patch up’ pain. But with an ever-increasing array of hot, cold and NSAID topicals out there, community pharmacy staff need to ‘gen up’ on when to recommend hot, cold or medicated treatments.

Research for topical brand Salonpas assesses that: “Many customers are confused by pain relief patches, with many wrongly believing that heat and cold patches contain medicinal ingredients.”

The Polar Frost topical range, which contains the active ingredients menthol and aloe vera, has been on Lanes Health’s distribution list since 2012. The cooling gel products, targeted at post-workout and sporting ailments such as soft tissue and stress injuries, muscle tension, inflammation and stiffness, are available in tube, roll-on and sachet formats. The sachets were added to the portfolio most recently in 2013 to treat on-the-go injuries with ease.

Neck and shoulder aches and pains are the second most prevalent pains for women

The gel reduces skin temperature to around 5-6C by restricting blood vessels and blocking pain receptors in the sore area, before soothing the pain with aloe vera, a natural anti-inflammatory.

LanesHealth has aimed Polar Frost directly at the fitness market, with page-long advertorials in January’s Your Fitness magazine. It has also forged a consumer- facing partnership with ex-Olympic athlete and fitness trainer Jenny Pacey, who endorses the range: “Muscle pain after a workout or delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) usually strikes between 24 and 72 hours post exercise. This is a sign that the body is adapting and changing. To reduce the muscle pain severity, I recommend having a good stretch and rehydrating immediately post- exercise and applying Polar Frost before going to bed to ease the aches,” she says.

The Mentholatum Company has been actively investing in its range of hot, cold and NSAID topical products in recent months. Jillian Watt, director of marketing and new product development, explains: “Our commitment to research and developing new products has given the company a great insight into the topicals sector and makes us experts in muscle and joint pain. We want to pass some of that knowledge on to community pharmacy so that, together, we can make a difference and help people who live with daily aches and pains to choose the appropriate products to bring relief.”

Market leaders

Deep Heat and Deep Freeze remain the market leaders in the hot and cold sector, while Mentholatum’s NSAID offering, Deep Relief Pain Relief Gel, has become one of the fastest growing brands in that area in the past year. The pain relief gel is also celebrating the accolade of ‘top NSAID’ for the second year in January's Pharmacy Product of the Year Awards. A programme of winter marketing, including social media activity and PR, is leveraging the product.

Senior product manager Elvy Mardjono says: “Our message – the power of two – is even more relevant now independent pharmacists have voted Deep Relief Pain Relief Gel the top NSAID for the second year. The combination of ibuprofen and levomenthol offers a unique and powerful two-way action”. Mentholatum also freshened the look and feel of the ‘Deep’ brands in the second and third quarters of 2014 with new packaging. The new designs align the product appearances and give a clearer understanding of what each product offers. For example, an orange flash on the Deep Relief Pain Relief Gel pack highlights its double action with a tick, which says: ‘Pain relief plus anti-inflammatory action’.

Jillian Watt explains that the new packaging shows that the products deliver more than just pain relief: “We developed the new design with special regard to shopper research which revealed that consumers would benefit from clarification of the benefits of each of the products as well as more advice on when and how to use them.”

Elvy Mardjono adds that the three products have a good 'shelf standout' in pharmacies and can be merchandised together to highlight the type of pain relief. “It is designed to make it easier for customers to identify and select a product appropriate to their needs and also for pharmacy staff to help them make quick and informed choices. The words ‘pain relief’ have been added to the name, again helping to harmonise with Mentholatum’s other topicals,” she says.

A One Poll survey revealed that neck and shoulder aches and pains are the second most prevalent pains for women. And with this worrying data in mind, Mentholatum launched its new Deep Heat Muscle Rescue Neck and Shoulder Patch last November. The product has already seen a winter marketing, press and digital campaign targeting the age 25-plus female target audience, while trade and consumer PR is on- going. Pharmacists can receive a training pack with leaflets, show cards and an aid for staff, along with sample dispensers.

The product has already been well received in consumer trials, according to Elvy Mardjono. “The patch sector is growing fast, but some patches on the market are not comfortable to wear on the neck and shoulders as they are not specially shaped for that area or are the wrong size, while others are not discreet or only adhere to the skin at the edges. We have developed the Deep Heat Muscle Rescue Neck and Shoulder Patch to sit comfortably and adhere securely over the neck and shoulder area without being bulky and, because it is odourless, no one need know you are wearing it,” she explains.

Patch work

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical is the biggest global manufacturer of transdermal patches, producing around 4 billion a year. Salonpas Pain Relief, a medicated patch which contains active ingredients methyl salicylate (10 per cent) and levomenthol (3 per cent), is Hisamitsu’s ‘bread and butter’ product. The patches are available in three and five packs and can administer pain relief for up to 12 hours.

It is sold in over 50 countries and Hisamitsu claims brand leadership in South East Asia and the USA. It was the first OTC topical analgesic patch to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008.

“Salonpas is suitable for pain relief of muscle and joints associated with strains, sprains, backache and bruises”, explains a Hisamitsu spokesperson. “Simple and quick to apply, the patch does not need to be rubbed or massaged into the skin like creams or gels. Unlike painkilling tablets, Salonpas is applied directly to the site of pain, so it provides targeted pain relief instead of just heating or cooling the skin like other patches currently available.”

 Pain relief patches explained

• Heat patches stimulate blood flow and relieve muscle spasms, penetrating stiff and sore muscles. They are not recommended for use on new, inflamed injuries.
• Cold patches reduce swelling and discomfort by slowing the blood flow to the injured area. Good for use in the early stages of an injury.
• Medicated patches apply active ingredients directly to the painful area and can be used at any phase of an injury. Not to be used on broken skin.