What keeps the pain relief market buoyant in challenging times?

Pain relief balms, gels, sprays, creams, pills and traditional remedies have been the go-to ways to relieve oneself of any aches and pains that one suffers from time to time. In these hyper-sensitive times, when focus on one one’s physical and mental wellbeing is at an all time high, people are choosing their products carefully.

According to industry estimates, the overall ‘pain relief’ category, which includes gels, oils, sprays, pills, balms, is currently valued at over Rs 4,200 crore. The market has several players that have established a strong presence over the years – Iodex, Moov, Volini, Tiger Balm, Zandu Balm, Dr Ortho, among others.

From the balms, oils and creams that can often get messy and leave stains on clothes, the preference has grown over the years for pain killer sprays, which are easier to apply. Relispray was an early player in this segment, but others soon followed, such as Volini Spray and Moov. Iodex Rapid Action Spray is a recent addition in this market and so is the Dabur Rheumatil Spray, which was launched earlier this month. While Volini works on 2% Diclofenac, Moov is purely prepared from some well researched Ayurvedic preparation. It also has another variant – Moov Advance Diclofenac Spray – which was introduced a few years back.

The market has both allopathic and Ayurvedic formulations. A majority of the allopathic pain medications require a doctor’s prescription, including ointments and gels. But a large part of the over-the-counter pain relief medications have some Ayurvedic formulation or the other – Moov, Himani Fast Relief, Zandu Balm, Iodex, Dr Ortho, Dabur Rheumatil Spray, among others.

All the pain relief brands have been aggressively promoted using mass media and are easily available as OTC products in pharmacies across the country. Distribution has been a strong point of these brands.

Speaking to Adgully about how the pain relief category has grown over the years, Shivam Puri, CEO, Cipla Health Ltd, said, “Our brand Omnigel is currently India’s No.1 pain recovery gel (Ref : IQVIA health sell out data) and has overtaken the larger players to become the one of the top players in the segment through its gel and spray product formats. We have achieved this stature over the years, because the brand understands its consumers’ requirements and aims to make a difference whilst relieving their body pain. The brand has also taken an approach of explaining the science of the product to the consumers in a simple yet lucid communication and stands true to its tagline ‘Jadd se dard ko mitaye’. Omnigel users trust the effectiveness of its products and the brand’s communication continues to showcase how conveniently the product provides its consumers relief from body pain in varied situations of life. Omnigel is available across the country and is one of the highest distributed brands through chemists (~4.9L Chemists).”

Speaking on Dabur Rheumatil Spray’s launch, Dr Durga Prasad, Marketing Head – Ethicals, Dabur India Ltd, commented, “Dabur Rheumatil Spray is a unique blend of time-tested Ayurvedic ingredients like Turpentine, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Gandhapura and Dalchini with Oil of Wintergreen and Menthol for rapid and effective relief from muscle pain. This not only marks our entry into a new category, but further boosts our Ayurvedic Healthcare products portfolio.”

He further said that the brand’s unique formulation gets absorbed quicker, penetrates deep to reach the source of pain and reduce inflammation. “Backed by 137 years of Dabur's Ayurvedic Knowledge, Rheumatil Spray is completely safe on skin. Dabur Rheumatil Spray is also effective in treating pain from Arthritis, Fibrositis, Stiff neck, Lumbar Spondylitis, Frozen Shoulders, Lumbago, Backaches, Muscular Sprains and Spasms,” Dr Prasad added.

Volini Spray from Sun Pharma has been the leader in the pain relief spray category. Despite being a highly competitive category, Volini has shown accelerated growth, maintaining its leadership position over the years.

The brand has differentiated itself from the competitor brands through continuous breakthrough innovations across its portfolio, such as the 360-degree technology on Volini spray, which ensures equal drug delivery at all angles. Volini Maxx spray has been launched as an extention and the company claims that it relieves pain 3x faster. Volini Maxx was also recognised as a Top Breakthrough Innovation by Nielsen BASES in 2020. The brand has leveraged its association with sports celebrities as its brand ambassadors over the years, including the likes of Sania Mirza, Sunil Chhetri and Virat Kohli, by driving preference towards the brand.

Even on the distribution front Volini spray has been strong and is today spread across the length and breadth of India, covering close to 3.25 lakh chemists, remarked a spokesperson from Sun Pharma.