Pain is universal. Whether it stems from a genetic disposition, traumatic experience, or moderate discomfort after engaging in physical activity. Pain and aching are the most common reasons people seek medical treatment. About 40% of adults within the United States suffer with chronic pain according to the CDC and mainstay treatment usually relies on NSAID medications like Advil or aspirin (1). However, many studies have revealed that these medications show no long-term benefits (2). Because of this, many people are turning to topical medication to aid in treating their muscle discomforts and aches, as it offers people progressive and local delivery of safe therapeutic components to the sites of their pains.
Since ancient times, people have been relying on plants and natural remedies to cure all different types of ailments including muscle and joint pain and even with the turn of the centuries, plants remain a large source of modern medicines. With this in mind and the idea to aid in the pain relief at its source, Flexicure’s Joint & Muscle Rapid Relief Cream aims to provide great assistance to relieving physical soreness and aches with its all-natural formulated topical cream.
Flexicure’s cream includes 8 natural plant derived ingredients formulated to offer a great experience for joint and muscle pain relief.
Starting with methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), a sulfur- based nutritional
supplement found in many fruits, vegetables, grains, and milk as well as in some animal meats. MSM gives the body a good supplement for sulfur which is necessary for the synthesis of certain essential amino acids and therefore has been tested for its therapeutic treatment for exercise soreness. Marathon runners were given MSM supplements or a placebo for three weeks after a run, to see its effects on post-race associated aches, and researchers found that the MSM group had reduced amount of pain compared to the placebo group (3), giving light onto the benefits of MSM as a therapeutic component.
The second ingredient in Flexicure’s cream is glucosamine, which is an important building block for our cartilage, ligaments, and tendons – which are the sites of creaky joints. In recent studies, glucosamine was shown to reduce the level of pain of osteoarthritic patients and when paired with other vitamins created a great synergistic therapeutic effect against rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (4). Giving the body additions of its own building blocks can supply the body with more artillery to make repairs and fight against pain.
Salix alba, or willow bark, is a white willow recognized as a great source for salicylic acid, a precursor to one of the most common pain relief medicines, acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin. Aspirin has many adverse effects like stomach ulcers, blood thinning and hemorrhage which its precursor, Salix alba does not. When combined with other anti-inflammatory interventions, Salix alba, can be a great source for providing assisted relief towards aches (5).
The eucalyptus oil, a distilled oil made from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree is very versatile in its uses and has been found to have abetting therapeutic effects. The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial characteristics has made it a natural source for giving promise to treating many ailments including arthritis (6). It is found in many soaps, herbicides and even perfumes, and therefore has a strong holding in the realm of aromatherapy. In addition to its natural pain-relieving characteristics, its antibacterial component helps prevent the spread of infections. Therefore, this natural and pleasant-smelling oil is a great additive to Flexicure’s soothing formula.
A grandmother’s favorite remedy for any cold, headache or ailment is to drink lemon ginger tea. Zingiber officinale Roscoe or Ginger has its own pain reducing effects through regulating different inhibitory pathways in the body to reduce and even stop certain pains (7). A full natural ingredient, already a culinary favorite, can provide some beneficial therapeutic effects.
Next, we have Boswellia, a plant derivative that is recommended in many cases of musculoskeletal inflammation and works by stopping certain pain pathways. Studies have shown some direct therapeutic effects on knee swelling and has increased the walking abilities of many osteoarthritis patients (8). As well, athletes who received Boswellia infused creams for their post exercise soreness reported significant improvements in stiffness and overall mobility that controlled groups (9).
A bit more unfamiliar, Arnica montana, is found in many foods and is classified as a flavonoid. Flavonoids are metabolites and therefore are consumed in our daily diets. In vivo studies performed in the lab across different human cells, traced the immunogenic actions of Arnica montana and observed that it increased white blood cellular activity against inflammations (10). This and other studies show great promise for Arnica montana as a great source for aiding in pain and was another obvious natural component to add to the mix.
Flexicure’s last ingredient in their formula is Comfrey root, a plant root found in many traditional medicinal plants. Native Americans recognized the great healing powers of this plant and used it a lot in treating many ailments including muscle and joint pains. That’s why modern research is exploring more of Comfrey roots therapeutic components and many randomized and controlled studies have been conducted and demonstrated the beneficial effects and the safety application of comfrey as a topical agent to treat for pain swelling and inflammation of the muscle and joints (11).
As muscle and joint pain is widely felt across populations globally it is important for the market to meet the demands for proper and efficient long-lasting cures. However, as pain is so common, the market has become oversaturated with many remedies harboring artificial and processed ingredients. Now more than ever, people are more conscious of what they are putting in their bodies and they want to understand and research the ingredients they absorb. That’s why Flexicure has turned to natural pain-relieving ingredients of 6 herbal extracts plus MSM and glucosamine to give people the relief they need with the ingredients they know to be natural and healthy.
1) https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6736a2.htm
2) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21386951/
3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4595302/
4) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13568-020-00987-8
5) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319610310000578
6) https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.8600
7) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7754412/
8) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6747466/
9) https://europepmc.org/article/med/32880419
10) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1475491604000098
11) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3580139/#CR6
