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Topical Pain Relief: An Essential Tool for Health Care Providers

Published Date: 16 Jan 2023

Many people experience chronic pain during their daily activities, owing to which they seek therapies like icing the area, using a heating pad, or OTC (over-the-counter) painkillers. However, since these oral medications cause issues for several people that experience chronic pain, most doctors & pharmacists now suggest topical pain relief medications like creams, gels, sprays, & patches as viable alternatives to conventional pain pills.

These are applied, sprayed, or rubbed directly to the skin's epidermal layer at & around the area of inflammation or pain. These medications are analgesic or anesthetic formulations that help relieve pain using skin as the path for drug administration by exerting major action at the targeted site & in the central nervous system.

In view of their growing demand worldwide, a recent research report has revealed that the Global Topical Pain Relief Market is set to register around 7.5% CAGR during 2023-28. The globally rising incidence of arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis, coupled with technological advancements in transdermal patches for pain management and massive R&D investments by pharmaceutical companies & government organizations, are driving the market.

Moreover, the increasing number of e-pharmacies owing to growing consumer inclination toward buying topical therapeutics online is another prominent factor boding well for the topical pain relief industry. Now, let us take a deeper dive into understanding the prominent aspects further stimulating the overall industry expansion through the future years across the globe.

Top Factors Underlying the Topical Pain Relief Market Dynamics

  • The globally rising geriatric population that faces a higher risk of different bone-related issues & diseases would remain a prominent factor that would stimulate the topical pain relief market growth through 2028.
  • Followed by this is the growing consumer awareness of various benefits of these medications, such as fewer side effects than oral pain pills, which is resulting in their surging adoption worldwide. In addition, the mounting consumer interest in living healthier lifestyles, sports activities, & gym is also propelling the demand for topical therapeutics.
  • The rapidly expanding e-commerce sector worldwide and the emergence of digitalization trends in the healthcare industry are also creating profitable opportunities for the market, as more & more people are purchasing these medications online due to benefits like discounts, quick door-step deliveries, & combo offers.
  • Among therapeutic classes, non-opioidswitness maximum demand owing to their growing demand among consumers for mild to moderate pain treatment, as they cause fewer side effects than opioids and leave no room for substance abuse or addiction.
  • The rising gym culture and growing interest in sports & adventure activities after the Covid-19 pandemic are augmenting the demand for non-opioids, which are healthier & addiction-free alternatives available extensively worldwide.
  • Among all distribution channels, pharmacy drug stores are the go-to for people to purchase topical pain relief medications, as they are largely available in all locations, even in pastoral or rural areas globally.
  • Coupled with this is the ease of access in these stores to numerous kinds of topical painkillers without the need for a prescription from a medical practitioner, i.e., augmenting the sales of topical pain relief medications in pharmacy drug stores.

Geographical Landscape of the Industry

Globally, the Asia-Pacific Topical pain Relief Market holds a significant market share. It ascribes primarily to the rising elderly population in several Asian countries, especially in India & China, i.e., leading to the growing incidence of chronic ailments, coupled with massive investments in healthcare infrastructure developments.

Additionally, improving disposable incomes, rising consumer awareness of the availability & advantages of safer pain management & relief products, and the burgeoning demand for long-term pain management pharmaceuticals with fewer side effects are further propelling the regional market expansion.

On the other hand, North America continues to create numerous growth prospects for the leading players operating in the topical pain relief industry to generate significant revenues. It owes to the early approval of therapeutics, the high adoption rate of OTC pain relief products, the extensive presence of the leading industry participants, and state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, especially in the US & Canada.

Final Words

With the globally increasing patient pool of joint pain problems and the rise in the elderly population, the topical pain relief market is set to witness notable expansion in the coming years, as these therapeutics provide instant relief to people with injuries. More & more people are showing interest in physical activities and joining gyms & clubs to maintain a healthier lifestyle, thanks to the advent of Covid-19, which resulted in ever-increased health consciousness among people. Hence, the incidence of chronic pain or inflammation is rising worldwide, i.e., leading to the increasing sales of topical painkillers or analgesics for people to get instant relief or as a precaution in case of future injury. Also, for individuals who are intolerant to other administration routes for pain treatment, topical medications are gaining immense popularity as a highly effective solution, thereby augmenting the overall market expansion.

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