Characteristics of Best-Selling Topical Pain Relief Medications at Major Online Retailer

Aaron Burshtein, MD, Michelle Liu, MD 

 

Introduction

Treatment of acute and chronic pain is multimodal. Topical analgesics are a common formulation for targeting joint and muscle pain. Amazon.com is the second largest online retailer in the United States. The purpose of this study was to assess characteristics of the best-selling topical pain relief medications at a major online retailer.

 

Material and Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed. Amazon.com was queried under the “Pain Relief Medications and Treatments” category on October 15^th, 2023. The results were sorted by “Best Seller.” No other restrictions on search were selected. Data for the 50 best-selling products was collected. For medications with multiple sizes, the largest size option was considered. Medications targeting hemorrhoids were excluded. This study did not require IRB approval.

 

Results

The median price for a medication was $16.86 ($5.99-$39.99). The median price per ounce was $4.24 ($1.49-$20.00). The average consumer rating was 4.4/5, with an average of 7,564 consumer reviews. The ‘Joint and Muscle’ category contained 78% of the products, the next highest being ‘Arthritis’ (12%). Cream was the predominant vehicle type (76%), followed by gel (6%). The most abundant active ingredient was menthol (38%), then arnica (28%), 4% lidocaine (18%), and camphor (10%). Lidocaine 5% was present in one product. Regarding class of medication, 66% were natural, 16% were lidocaine, and 10% contained non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Overall, only 26% contained an FDA-approved ingredient. Top marketing claims included non-greasy (52%), maximum strength/powerful (42%), natural/plant-derived (32%), deep penetrating (22%), fragrance/odor free (20%), long-lasting (16%), soothing (14%), targets nerves (14%), fast-acting (12%), and doctor-recommended (10%).

 

Discussion

There are a variety of affordable topical pain medications with high consumer ratings. Consumers value creams most as formulations. Products contain a diversity of active ingredients, though most are not FDA-approved. Consumers value cosmetic texture and claims of strength of medication. Efficacy can vary based on individual patient response and attempting different topicals can be beneficial.